Reincarnated as a Sickly Princess, She was Kidnapped by the Evil Dragon Lady - Chapter 35

Seeing his teammate nod, the skinny man swallowed hard.

“We were just following orders. We heard you’d been spotted, and we were supposed to report it. Of course… kidnapping you would have been even better…”

As the man finished speaking, his voice trembling, Illycia listened intently, then fell into deep thought.

“You know my identity?”

“Y-yes… You’re… You’re the youngest princess among the current princes and princesses. But we heard you haven’t left your residence in a long time due to health reasons…”

Because they knew about Illycia’s situation, they had assumed she was pampered and sheltered, with a temperament as easily frightened as a child’s. After all, their intelligence reports claimed she hadn’t left her home in twenty years, leading them to believe she was the kind of naive, sheltered princess who had been kept safe and ignorant.

But now, having seen her in person, they realized their mistake—a mistake that had cost one of them an arm.

As for Illycia, she suddenly found herself filled with doubt.

According to her memories, everyone knew she was right and understood her situation. Yet, very few had ever seen her true face, as she had never left the Royal Palace. Her appearance existed only in rumors, and no one truly knew what she looked like.

The fact that these two had found her the moment she left the palace was deeply intriguing.

But just as Illycia was about to seize this opportunity to press them for more information, a sudden and terrifying transformation occurred.

Immediately after speaking, their faces began to contort grotesquely, and their bodies started to swell uncontrollably.

“Save me… save me… Lord, we were wrong! Please, save us!”

Panic flooded their faces, their voices rising to hysterical screams. They were utterly terrified, as if witnessing the most horrifying thing imaginable.

Watching their sudden transformation, Illycia instinctively retreated two steps.

For Illycia, anyone who tried to kill her would inevitably face her retaliation. Even if these two died, she wouldn’t feel a shred of pity.

Yet now, this sudden, inexplicable event had left her both panicked and utterly bewildered.

She watched as their bellies swelled to a grotesque, nauseating size. Their faces flushed crimson, veins bulging from the pressure. The cries for help they had tried to utter were choked off, as if trapped in their throats.

“Careful,” a cold voice suddenly warned from behind her. In the next instant, a reassuring figure moved to shield her.

Illycia heard an explosion erupt beside her, immediately anticipating the chaos it would draw.

But just as the blast threatened to spread, it abruptly cut off.

Confused, Illycia looked up to see Aria standing protectively before her.

Just as Illycia was about to ask Aria about the explosion they had just heard, she noticed that the spot where they had been trapped was now completely empty. All that remained was blood splattered across the wall and the nauseating stench of gore.

Looking at Aria again, Illycia realized that Aria had silently cast a circular Magic Array, isolating their location. This prevented the blood from spreading too far and effectively muffled the explosion.

Yet the sight of the blood-soaked ground, the revolting scene, and the overwhelming stench left Illycia feeling dazed.

After all, just moments ago, there had been two living people here. Now, they had vanished without a trace, leaving only a pool of exploded blood as proof of their existence.

“Someone had planted a curse on them. It was triggered just now,” Aria explained calmly, glancing back at Illycia, whose face seemed pale.

“Then… let’s go back for now…” Illycia suggested, feeling genuinely nauseous. This was the first time she had witnessed such a scene. If not for her two lifetimes of experience and strong constitution, she would have already vomited.

“Alright.”

The camera shifted, and the two were already back inside the castle.

Illycia’s first priority upon returning was to tell her father about what had happened outside, hoping he might have some insight. After all, she had gleaned from the men’s conversation that the person behind them was no ordinary figure.

Given the gravity of the situation, it was crucial to inform her father and ask if he had noticed any particularly suspicious individuals recently.

Illycia quickly led Aria to her father’s study, knocked on the door, and was greeted by Rodas.

Rodas was naturally delighted to see Illycia and Aria back so early. His face lit up with a warm smile as he looked at Illycia.

But as Illycia recounted the events that had just transpired, Rodas’s expression darkened instantly. Even Illycia could sense the brewing storm beneath his calm facade.

Just as Illycia braced herself for an outburst, Rodas’s features gradually softened.

“I’ll handle this matter, little Illycia. You should go get some rest.”

“Wait, wait! I asked them about other things too…”

Illycia quickly told Rodas how Aria had subdued the two men, then shared both her questions and her own deductions.

Rodas stared at Illycia, his surprise growing as he listened to her theories.

He had always believed Illycia, due to her frail health and a strange condition that made it difficult for her to focus, was destined to remain at home. He had only hoped she would live a comfortable life, never expecting her to accomplish anything significant.

This wasn’t to say Rodas didn’t care for Illycia; it was simply the reality he had accepted.

Yet now, hearing Illycia’s deductions, Rodas realized that even though her theories weren’t comprehensive, they had significantly narrowed down the potential targets of the mastermind behind the plot.

After all, the number of people who had seen Illycia’s face wasn’t particularly large—not insignificant, but far fewer than searching for a needle in a haystack.

“Hmm, I understand,” Rodas said thoughtfully.

In the end, he still insisted Illycia go back to sleep.

Rodas had initially expected Illycia to be deeply shaken by her recent ordeal, but to his surprise, she seemed remarkably unfazed.

“I’m heading back now, Dad. Don’t work too late and take care of yourself.”

“Mm, good night.”

Hearing Illycia’s concern for his well-being warmed Rodas’s heart.

As Illycia and Aria departed, Rodas slowly let his smile fade. He watched Aria’s retreating figure, lost in thought.

This time, however, Rodas wasn’t pondering the mastermind behind the attack on his daughter. Instead, he was contemplating the nature of Aria’s relationship with Illycia.

Rodas had never imagined Aria would intervene on behalf of his daughter. Such an action signified the Dragon Race’s formal involvement in human affairs, a development that utterly baffled him.

“What exactly is the connection between Illycia and Aria…?”

As Rodas pondered, his curiosity about Aria deepened. After a moment’s reflection, he realized that no amount of speculation would yield a satisfactory answer, so he abandoned the line of thought.

Conversely, this incident had significantly eased Rodas’s wariness toward Aria.

Rodas knew that these were turbulent times. If what had happened to Illycia today were to occur again, he was well aware that he might not be able to guarantee her safety.

After all, many of the Roland Empire’s elite combat forces were currently occupied with their own missions, leaving no one capable of protecting Illycia. Even Rodas himself was stretched too thin to provide adequate protection.

But with Aria now present, Illycia’s safety was no longer a concern, which allowed Rodas to breathe a sigh of relief.

After all, even if the entire Roland Empire were to unite against Aria, they would likely still be no match for her. Protecting Illycia would be a trivial matter for her.

As for asking Aria to help the Roland Empire overcome its current crisis?

Rodas had considered it, but quickly dismissed the excessive and greedy notion.

The fact that Aria was willing to protect Illycia was already beyond his expectations. Pushing his luck further might only provoke her resentment.

However, Aria’s protection of Illycia did give Rodas another cause for concern: what kind of contract had Illycia forged with Aria? Or, what conditions had they agreed upon to make the proud Dragon Race act as a bodyguard for a human?

Rodas pondered, but the more he thought, the worse his headache grew. He decided to set the matter aside for now and revisit it later.

Meanwhile, Illycia followed her memories back to the familiar room.

Looking at the familiar surroundings, Illycia felt a deep-seated aversion.

But this time was different. This time, she had brought Aria with her to the room.

“You should get some sleep first. I’ll be nearby, so don’t worry.”

Just as Illycia was thinking about having Aria’s company, Aria’s words struck her like a bucket of cold water.

As Aria spoke, she turned to leave from the bedroom doorway.

“Wait, wait! Aren’t you staying?” Illycia quickly stopped her.

Aria glanced back at the bedroom, which contained only a single bed, then looked at Illycia, who seemed genuinely serious.

Instinctively, Aria prepared to refuse.

But before she could, Illycia grabbed her hand and pulled her into the room without another word.

“It’s fine. My bed is quite large. You can just crash here when you’re tired.”

Illycia gestured to her spacious bed, easily large enough for two, inviting Aria to sleep with her.

But Aria had no intention of sharing a bed with Illycia.

“No need. You should get some rest yourself.”

Aria turned to leave, her resolute demeanor instantly making Illycia anxious.

Earlier, Illycia had gone out hoping to enjoy herself, but the encounter with the assassin had completely ruined her mood. Now, back home, she thought having Aria keep her company would be nice, only to find Aria coldly preparing to leave.

“Oh, come on! Just keep me company, okay?” Illycia pleaded, grabbing Aria’s hand again.

As if afraid Aria might refuse, she playfully shook Aria’s arm.

Aria looked at Illycia with a complex expression. To her, Illycia’s behavior seemed childish, yet she couldn’t bring herself to reject her. With a silent sigh, she nodded quietly.

When Illycia saw Aria agree, her entire demeanor brightened instantly.

And so, the two settled down on the edge of the bed and began chatting idly.

Though they called it chatting, it was more like Illycia doing all the talking while Aria occasionally replied or simply hummed to end Illycia’s train of thought.

It couldn’t be helped. Aria genuinely disliked talking and was terrible at expressing herself. Normally, if someone chattered in her ear like this, she would impatiently drive them away, or even resort to violence if she were in a particularly foul mood.

Yet, with Illycia chirping away beside her, Aria felt no irritation whatsoever. This surprised even Aria herself.

Could this mean Illycia held a different place in Aria’s heart than others?

“By the way, Aria, can you write poetry?” Illycia suddenly asked, as if struck by a thought.

“No.”

“Then how about I write one for you? Would you like to hear it?”

Hearing Illycia’s suggestion, Aria couldn’t help but feel a flicker of anticipation. What kind of poem could this girl, who had spent half her life confined to her home, possibly create?

Aria was accustomed to hearing poems composed by wandering bards. It was quite unexpected to hear poetry from someone outside that circle.

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