Reincarnated as a Sickly Princess, She was Kidnapped by the Evil Dragon Lady - Chapter 27

“Sister, are Father and Mother here? I want to see them.”

Illycia and Isabella’s relationship had eased somewhat, so Illycia decided to seize the opportunity to change the subject. She didn’t want things to sour again.

However, the moment Illycia asked, Isabella’s expression darkened.

Seeing her elder sister’s reaction, Illycia’s heart tightened with anxiety.

“Father, he’s currently…” Isabella stammered, her hesitation driving Illycia to the brink of panic.

“Father! Father… what happened to him?!”

Though her estranged father had rarely seen her, he was still the one who provided her with food and shelter. Despite their distance, she couldn’t help but feel some attachment. If something had happened to him, Illycia would be devastated.

Through Isabella’s explanation, Illycia learned what had transpired after she left.

The Roland Empire had once been a dominant power among the Human Race. But after news spread of their victory over the Dragon, a coalition of smaller nations inexplicably united and declared war on the Empire.

It was rumored that the Roland Empire had suffered heavy losses in manpower and resources during their recent victory over the Dragon. This led neighboring small nations to believe that now was the perfect time to launch an attack.

However, this assessment was flawed. In reality, the Roland Empire had sustained no significant losses in their battle against the Dragon, and they should have had no reason to fear a coalition of these minor powers.

The problem lay in the fact that these supposedly weak nations had secretly amassed considerable military strength. Their combined forces were unexpectedly formidable, making them a difficult opponent to handle.

Yet this didn’t mean the Roland Empire would be defeated by this alliance. After all, the Empire’s number of Overlord Mages and Saint-rank Knights already surpassed the combined forces of all the smaller nations. Moreover, each Overlord Mage and Saint-rank Knight possessed unparalleled power, capable of holding off entire armies single-handedly.

As Isabella explained this, Illycia’s anxiety gradually eased. She had initially feared her father was in mortal danger.

After learning all this, Illycia finally believed Aria’s claim that she hadn’t harmed any humans. After all, her own father and his men were still alive and well.

As a result, Illycia’s attitude toward Aria softened considerably.

Still, despite her newfound understanding, Illycia couldn’t help but feel puzzled when her sister said this.

“Then… why didn’t Dad just send those… mages or knights to deal with those rebellious small kingdoms?”

In Illycia’s mind, her father commanded a formidable force of powerful warriors.

“It’s probably because of the Demon Race,” Aria interjected, who had been listening to Isabella and Illycia’s conversation.

Isabella had been about to explain herself, but Aria’s sudden interruption caught her off guard.

After a moment of surprise, Isabella pursed her dry lips. Though she hated to admit it, Aria’s explanation was indeed correct.

“Yes, that’s right,” Isabella conceded reluctantly.

Though she loathed acknowledging the person who had abducted her sister, honesty was the best policy.

“So… how did you know all this?”

As Isabella spoke, she suddenly turned her attention to Aria, who had unexpectedly spoken up.

“I heard about it recently,” Aria replied, her answer brief and almost dismissive.

Seeing this, Isabella genuinely wanted to press Aria for more details, but then she remembered that Aria was a Dragon and decided against it.

After all, throughout history, Dragons had never intervened in the wars between races. Even if Aria knew specific intelligence, she likely wouldn’t share it with Isabella, so it was better not to ask.

This was also why they hadn’t hesitated to discuss what was essentially classified national intelligence in front of Aria, an outsider.

Dragons never participated in such conflicts, so even if she knew, she wouldn’t act on it.

With a silent sigh, Isabella realized just how insignificant she was in the face of these wars.

This realization had been the source of her recent stress. As a direct member of the royal family, she and her siblings had been tasked with handling many domestic affairs while Rodas focused on the front lines.

It wasn’t just Isabella; her two elder brothers and elder sister were also under immense pressure.

Thinking about this complex situation, Isabella couldn’t help but sigh.

“Alright, enough talk. Let’s go see Father.”

As she spoke, Isabella gently patted Illycia’s head.

It was only at that moment that Isabella noticed Illycia’s hair had turned completely white.

“Speaking of which, Illycia, your hair…”

Now that she had calmed down, Isabella finally noticed the change in Illycia’s hair color while petting her head.

Countless thoughts flashed through Isabella’s mind, and she nearly suspected Aria, who stood before her.

“Don’t worry, Sister. It doesn’t affect me at all. If you really want to know the reason, let’s discuss it after we see Dad,” Illycia quickly interjected, sensing Isabella’s emotions about to erupt.

Hearing Illycia’s words, a complex expression flickered across Isabella’s face, but she ultimately chose to believe that the hair color had no adverse effects on Illycia.

“Alright,” Isabella agreed.

Led by Isabella, Illycia and Aria arrived at the door of Rodas’s study.

Rodas was seated at his desk, reviewing reports from the front lines and pondering countermeasures.

On one hand, he had the situation with the smaller nations; on the other, the Demon Race’s relentless attacks. The dual crises were giving him a splitting headache.

Normally, either issue alone wouldn’t have been so overwhelming. But now, both had erupted simultaneously, and his daughter had been kidnapped just days ago, pushing him to the brink of despair.

Knock, knock, knock.

The knocking on Rodas’s door interrupted his work.

“Who is it?”

“Father, it’s me. Do you have a moment?”

Hearing his second daughter’s voice, Rodas rose from his desk and strode to the door.

As he opened it, Isabella appeared before him.