Reincarnated as a Sickly Princess, She was Kidnapped by the Evil Dragon Lady - Chapter 32

Among them, only Aria maintained a perpetually cold and expressionless demeanor, which drew Illycia’s attention. Illycia had been looking for an opportunity to ask Aria about it, but unfortunately, no such chance arose before the gathering concluded.

“I’ll arrange a room for Your Excellency right away. There’s hot water available for a good night’s rest. What do you think?” Rodas offered.

“No need. I don’t require a room,” Aria replied, unexpectedly rejecting Rodas’s offer.

“I don’t sleep at night,” Aria added, noticing Rodas’s stunned expression.

“Ah… very well. Please feel free to do as you wish. If you need anything, just let us know.”

“Hmm.”

With that, the evening’s gathering came to a complete end, and the night sky darkened outside.

Isabella tried to pull Illycia back to their quarters, but Rodas informed her that there was still much work to be done that night. Crestfallen, Isabella trudged back to her desk for overtime.

After dealing with the others, Rodas and Rosalia turned their attention to Illycia, who had nothing to do.

“Illycia, let me take you back to your room. You should get some sleep,” Rosalia said softly, reaching out to lead Illycia away.

But before she could finish, Illycia dodged her mother’s hand.

“I… I…”

Illycia frantically searched for an excuse to avoid going back to her room. Truthfully, she wasn’t tired at all after dinner and had no desire to sleep.

Besides, her room was likely the same one where she had been confined for so long. Now that she had tasted freedom, Illycia refused to return to that prison.

In her desperation, Illycia spotted Aria standing nearby.

“Dad, Aria said she’d take me for a walk. We’ll be back soon,” Illycia blurted out, grabbing Aria’s hand. The sudden move left Aria stunned in place.

“Aria, you agree, right?” Illycia said, looking up into Aria’s eyes.

In Aria’s eyes, Illycia’s gaze was filled with such pleading that Aria couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.

“Alright, I’ll take you out,” Aria replied, agreeing to Illycia’s request as if compelled by some unseen force.

Illycia’s face lit up with joy at Aria’s agreement.

For some reason, Illycia felt unusually energetic today. Unlike her usual frail self, who would tire after just a few steps, she felt no fatigue at all.

At this hour, she would normally be feeling sleepy, but tonight she felt wide awake and eager to go out.

“Hey, Dad and Mom! Aria said she’ll take me out to play. I’ll be back later!”

Without waiting for Rodas and Rosalia to reply, Illycia grabbed Aria’s hand and pulled her out the door.

Aria, meanwhile, was being dragged along by Illycia like a doll.

Only after Illycia and Aria disappeared around the corner did Rodas and Rosalia finally snap out of their daze.

“Why didn’t you stop her? You know how fragile Illycia’s body is!” Rosalia exclaimed, punching Rodas in the back.

“Ouch! That hurt!” Rodas yelped, stumbling forward two steps before turning to face Rosalia.

Rosalia glared at Rodas, her anger boiling over. She turned to chase after Illycia and drag her back.

But just as she took two steps, Rodas grabbed her arm.

Rosalia froze, staring at Rodas, who was holding her back. She couldn’t understand what he was trying to do.

“What are you doing?”

“Just let Illycia have some fun,” Rodas said. “Aria doesn’t seem like she’d hurt her.”

The moment Rodas spoke those words, Rosalia’s anger flared. After all, that dragon had personally abducted Illycia!

“I’m telling you…”

“We’ve kept Illycia locked up for most of her life. Let her go out and play for a while. It might even be…”

Rosalia was about to confront Rodas when his next words stopped her cold.

“But… Illycia, she…”

Rosalia seemed to want to say something, but Rodas’ words left her momentarily speechless, unsure of what to say.

After all, what Rodas said was true. They had confined Illycia to this castle for twenty years, never once taking her out to play or even to see the outside world.

Now that Illycia had experienced the vastness of the world, it was only natural she wouldn’t want to stay cooped up at home anymore.

As the saying goes, people can endure darkness, but only if they’ve never seen the light.

Illycia was no different. Having glimpsed the outside world, how could she ever want to remain confined to the room that had held her for twenty years?

Rodas and Rosalia had considered taking Illycia out before, but Rodas’s position as King of the Roland Empire made such outings too risky. Exposing the already frail Illycia to public scrutiny would undoubtedly make her a prime target for shadowy rebel organizations.

Moreover, Illycia’s unique constitution and ominous white hair meant that even a casual leak of information could have catastrophic and irreversible consequences. In the worst-case scenario, Rodas, as the reigning monarch, could be overthrown by rebel factions fueled by external agitators.

In short, a multitude of factors had kept Rodas from allowing Illycia to leave the castle for so many years—all for her safety and the stability of their family.

In the past, Rodas had often regretted his lack of power. If he had possessed sufficient strength, Illycia might never have been confined to that room for two decades.

But now, with Aria’s arrival, Rodas, already burdened by guilt toward Illycia, found some solace.