Reincarnated as a Sickly Princess, She was Kidnapped by the Evil Dragon Lady - Chapter 25

As Illycia pondered, Aria happened to walk over from nearby, carrying two bottles of water.

After finishing their meal, Aria had told Illycia to wait for her by the restaurant entrance. Without explaining why, she had left, leaving Illycia behind.

Now it seemed she had gone to buy water.

Aria approached Illycia and, without a word, thrust a water bottle into her hands.

“What’s this for?” Illycia asked, feigning ignorance despite knowing Aria’s intentions.

“Just take it and drink,” Aria said, shoving the bottle into Illycia’s hand before she could protest.

Illycia stared at the bottle forced into her grasp and sighed quietly. She truly found Aria’s personality rather awkward.

Seeing Illycia holding the water without comment, Aria continued, “I’ve checked the schedule. There’s nothing urgent with the Dragon Race lately, so we don’t need to rush…”

As she spoke, Aria awkwardly glanced around.

“So?” Illycia asked.

“So… if you want to spend the day exploring the Dwarf Kingdom, we still have plenty of time.”

Aria’s words stunned Illycia, who had been in a rather gloomy mood. She froze, as if she had heard something unbelievable.

“What?” Illycia blurted out instinctively.

“I said, if you don’t want to leave today, you can stay and play for the day. If you want to leave now, we can go now too,” Aria said calmly, her gaze fixed on the bewildered Illycia.

Illycia’s mind raced with possibilities, yet she didn’t feel the joy she had imagined.

“Since… that’s the case, could I make a small request?”

“What is it?”

“I’d like to visit my family first, just to let them know I’m safe… Would that be alright?”

Aria paused for a moment, clearly considering Illycia’s request.

“Mm, alright.”

It was clear to both Aria and Illycia that their conversation had created a rift in their relationship.

This was inevitable. Aria had long anticipated such a consequence. Having lived for so long, she understood that speaking truth or falsehoods often came with a price.

Thus, this outcome was within Aria’s expectations.

As a result, the pair didn’t linger long in the Dwarf Kingdom. They soon set off again for the Roland Empire.

The journey remained unchanged from their arrival: Illycia rode on Aria’s dragon back.

Under Aria’s swift flight, they quickly left the Dwarf Kingdom’s territory.

This time, Illycia wasn’t as lively as before. She lay on Aria’s back, lost in thought, as if burdened by some unspoken worry.

During the journey, Illycia drank when thirsty and slept when tired. Before they knew it, the sky began to glow with an orange-yellow hue as the sun dipped toward the horizon, gradually blurring the twilight.

“We’re almost there,” Aria announced, breaking Illycia’s reverie as she gazed at the sunset.

“Okay,” Illycia replied.

Aria then conjured a complex Magic Array around herself and Illycia.

Then, the two of them vanished into thin air, disappearing into the sky.

“I cast an Invisibility Spell,” Aria explained as Illycia looked around curiously. “Otherwise, flying over like this would cause panic.”

To onlookers, the sky remained unchanged, completely normal.

It was this same spell that had allowed Aria to spirit Illycia away from the Roland Empire in the first place.

As Aria descended lower, Illycia finally gained a clear view of the entire Roland Empire.

This was also Illycia’s first time seeing the Roland Empire from such a height. Its grandeur rivaled, if not surpassed, that of the Dwarf Kingdom.

However, the Dwarf Kingdom appeared far more industrialized, while the Roland Empire lacked such development.

After flying for only a few minutes, the most prominent and eye-catching structure in the heart of the Roland Empire came into view.

Illycia immediately recognized it as the Royal Palace—the home that had confined her for so long.

Since inheriting the original owner’s memories, Illycia could clearly feel the former owner’s loneliness, helplessness, and ultimate despair.

When Illycia returned to this place, she felt a deep-seated resistance.

After all, the original owner’s life and emotions were vividly imprinted in Illycia’s memories.

Fortunately, she was herself, and the original owner was the original owner. She wasn’t overly affected, experiencing only a mild sense of repulsion. Beyond that, there was nothing else.

Aria and Illycia found a relatively large clearing in the Royal Palace garden and landed there.

They immediately dispelled their Invisibility Spell, revealing themselves in the garden.

“Where to now? To see your family?” Aria asked, dispelling the magic from both of them as she spoke.

“Probably… but…” Illycia hesitated, looking slightly embarrassed. “I don’t know which way to go…”

To her shame, despite having lived here and possessing the original owner’s memories, Illycia had never explored this part of the garden. She had no idea which path to take.

“You don’t even know your own garden?” Aria asked, her tone incredulous.

“Well, what can I say? I used to spend all my time in my room,” Illycia said, pouting slightly.

She actually felt a bit wronged, having been kept confined to her room for so long without realizing the vastness of her family’s estate.

But Illycia thought, it wasn’t exactly confinement, was it? It was mostly due to her own physical limitations.

Seeing Illycia’s explanation, Aria couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. She sighed softly.

Just as Aria was about to call over a servant for directions, her expression suddenly sharpened as she turned to the right.

“Someone’s coming,” Aria announced.

Hearing this, Illycia immediately ducked behind Aria.

Aria looked at Illycia, puzzled. “Isn’t this your own home? Why are you hiding?”

Only then did Illycia realize her mistake.

“Oh… right… ha… ha…”

Flushing with embarrassment, Illycia awkwardly stepped out from behind Aria.