The Princess’s Final Wish Before Her Time Runs Out - Chapter 60

For Tericia, planning Rashid’s birthday banquet wasn’t nearly as important as choosing the gift.

Rashid had said it wasn’t necessary, but to Tericia, it absolutely was. She wanted to celebrate the fact that he had safely reached his twentieth birthday.

In her previous life, she’d never been able to give him a proper birthday celebration—he had always been on the battlefield.

To mark his birthday, she would light candles and offer prayers at the temple, hoping he would survive another year. That was all she could do back then.

Even after her return to the past, Rashid had been at the Academy, and too many things kept getting in the way—she’d missed every chance.

But now, things were different. They were together. She was by his side. She could tell him “Happy Birthday” whenever she wanted—so why wouldn’t she?

Just one more year…

Without realizing it, Tericia clenched her fists tightly.

If just one more year passed peacefully, she would finally feel the change—that the past had truly been rewritten.

Her hands, still busy arranging flowers, came to a halt.

“What kind of gift should I get him?”

If possible, she wanted something just for him—something worthy of the Duke of Hespelt. A gift that could stay close to him at all times…

“Tericia.”

Startled by the sudden voice, she dropped the flower she was holding. A soft pink bloom fell to her feet.

“I’ll pick it up for you.”

Rashid stepped forward and bent to retrieve it. With one hand, he supported hers and placed the flower gently in her palm.

His touch against the back of her hand was warm—almost too warm.

“…You shouldn’t be bowing down like that.”

“It’s you. Why wouldn’t I?”

Her face flushed at his words. He reached up and gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

His gaze—steady, intense—met hers. The golden hue of his eyes gleamed brighter than the sun itself.

So, this is who Rashid is now… He doesn’t need anyone to protect him anymore. He’s already shining all on his own.

A sudden ache struck her chest. Reflexively, Tericia placed her hand over her heart and pressed down.

“Are you unwell?”

“No…”

She shook her head, brushing away the thought. It was a useless one. Her wish had always been for Rashid to stand on his own, to take everything the Hespelt name had to offer.

She gently placed the flower on the table.

“How about tea time? We haven’t had a proper chat lately.”

“To be precise, you’ve been too busy. Taking in that strange man and putting him to work…”

“Well, it’s worked out, hasn’t it? Oh, did you give the gift to His Highness?”

“Yes, I did.”

“You didn’t hold it back, did you?”

“No. I made sure to deliver it properly.”

“Good.”

She reached out and patted Rashid’s head. Because of their height difference, she had to stretch quite a bit to reach.

“…Tericia.”

“It’s a compliment.”

Rashid looked at her, dumbfounded, then gave in and laughed softly. He couldn’t bring himself to stop her when she was smiling like that.

“Are you sure you’re not abusing how weak I am for you?”

As he said it, he took her hand and placed it on his arm. It was so natural now—no one would have found it strange.

His escorting her had become something of a given. No matter who else was around, when Tericia was with Rashid, her escort duties always fell to him.

“What should I get you for your birthday?”

“I don’t need anything.”

“Well, you do have just about everything.”

“……”

Except for one thing.

The one thing he wanted most was the one thing he still had to wait for. He looked down at Tericia, who was walking with her hand on his arm.

Watching her try to figure out what to get him made his smile grow.

The Hespelt family sponsored two temples—one in the capital, and one in their territory. The capital temple was particularly important, as it housed the genealogical records of everyone who carried the Hespelt name.

Even distant branch families were listed there, with detailed records for at least a generation, making it easy to identify members of the house.

Though the temple welcomed visitors, only those with permission could access the family records—and that permission had to come directly from the Duke of Hespelt.

The Duke protected the temple, and the temple, in turn, honored the Duke.

But there are exceptions to every rule.

On a pitch-black night, the back gate of the capital’s Hespelt temple creaked open. It was the gate used by servants or for food deliveries.

A man in a hood emerged. From the lines around his mouth, it was clear he was no longer young.

He glanced around carefully, then whistled into the darkness. At the sound, another man stepped out of the shadows—a low-ranking priest responsible for guarding the temple library.

“No one followed you?”

“Don’t worry. They have no idea I’m even involved.”

The priest looked at Sheffer Borren with thinly veiled disgust as the man grinned obsequiously.

He despised people like this—cowards who survived by groveling and manipulating others in the alleys.

But the priest quickly smoothed over his expression. He didn’t plan on speaking to this man for long.

“This must never get out.”

“Of course. I only follow my master’s orders.”

Sheffer bowed deeply, all smiles. He knew that flattering men like this was the only way to get what he wanted.

“It’ll just be a quick look. In and out.”

“What exactly are you looking for?”

“…I wasn’t told the reason either.”

Sheffer smiled again, dodging the question. He saw no need to explain anything to a man like this.

The priest checked their surroundings one last time before allowing Sheffer inside.

As they entered, Sheffer handed over a heavy pouch. The clink of coins told the priest everything he needed to know.

He held back a grin and said sternly, “You have thirty minutes. No more.”

“Don’t worry. I promise I won’t cause any trouble.”

Sheffer Boren smiled as he followed closely behind.

Only the sound of their footsteps echoed through the silence. As they walked down the dim hallway, Sheffer recalled the conversation he’d had with Count Clu not long ago.

A stain on the ducal house, huh?

He scoffed silently.

It had been nearly a month since Count Clu had taken him in. Just when the Count was growing irritated, thinking Sheffer was nothing more than a parasite, Sheffer had come forward with this.

“You said you had something to tell me?”

“Yes, Count. I’d forgotten about it for a while, but I think it may be useful to you. As soon as I remembered, I came straight here.”

“…What is it?”

“It’s something the lady once said…”

He meant Lady Boren.

Sheffer paused for a moment, hesitating. Count Clu’s irritation flared with the delay, but just before it exploded, Sheffer finally spoke.

“She said… the girl isn’t really a Hespelt.”

“What?!”

“She said Tericia was never part of the Hespelt bloodline. That her name was never even entered into the family records at the capital temple.”

“……!”

At first, Count Clu was struck speechless. Had he really just heard that?

Then came the fury.

A lowborn woman, daring to—!

Those words came from her. That woman.

“How dare she!”

Clu’s voice erupted in rage.

“Do you know what disgrace I suffered because of her?!”

He had been publicly humiliated, driven out of the ducal estate. And now he finds out she wasn’t even one of them?

“That woman caused you so much trouble, didn’t she?”

Sheffer said sympathetically, like someone who truly understood.

“Why not verify it for yourself?”

“Verify?”

“From what I’ve heard, those born into the Hespelt bloodline are recorded at the capital’s temple, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“Then all you need to do is go there and check. If her name isn’t listed, then she was never truly part of the family. Not even once.”

“……”

Clu fell into deep thought.

“That would mean she’s deceived the entire ducal house. That can’t be left unexposed.”

“……”

“She pretended to be a noblewoman when she wasn’t. She fooled the Duke, and by extension, all the Empire’s nobility.”

“…Yes. You’re right.”

“She must’ve had help. There’s no way the current Duke didn’t know. But even if he didn’t—he’s the one who publicly treated her as a sister. He’s still responsible.”

Sheffer’s logic was flawless. Whether Rashid knew or not no longer mattered.

He had accepted her, shielded her, even risked things for her.

“If he knew—then it’s deceit. If he didn’t—it’s sheer incompetence. And either way…”

Sheffer lowered his voice, leaning in as though whispering a dangerous secret.

“…can such a man truly be trusted with the Hespelt title?”

“……!”

“The Duke’s position is far too important to be held by someone like him. No, a wiser, more dignified man should be leading the Hespelt family. Someone who truly understands its legacy.”

He paused—and then smiled, voice dripping with sugary poison.

“Someone like you, Count Clu.”

He whispered exactly what the Count wanted to hear.

Sheffer Boren’s appearance may have been lowly, but his tongue was slick—coated with honeyed persuasion.

The sweetly delivered venom seeped into Clu’s battered pride. Whether the man meant it or not didn’t matter—Clu had no strength left to question it.

Alone in a dark estate, stripped of everything, Count Clu no longer had the clarity to see through manipulation. His eyes, as he stared at Sheffer, saw not the man before him—but a dream.

“The position of Duke Hespelt isn’t so easily claimed.”

“Of course not. That’s why it should be someone like you.”

In his mind, Clu already stood at the head of the ducal estate, commanding the nobles of the Empire.

But in reality, he couldn’t even leave the region. Within his estate, he could move freely, but outside it—he was restricted.

“Is there a way?”

“I’ll go to the capital’s temple myself. If I can get a copy of the records, that’s best. But even if I can’t, I’ll make sure we have a way to confirm it. All you’ll need to do is expose the truth. Do it during a public event—at a banquet, or during a noble assembly.”

“Rashid’s birthday is coming up.”

“Perfect. Plenty of nobles will be gathered there. It’ll be the ideal opportunity.”

“To question his legitimacy and remove him from power… Can we really bring him down with just that?”

“Even if we can’t remove him, the damage will be done. Rashid Karl Hespelt’s reputation will be stained—permanently. Enough doubt will be cast to weaken his standing. And after that, you can take your place step by step.”

The plan Sheffer laid out sounded flawless. To Count Clu, it felt almost inevitable—as though it was meant to happen.

“Sheffer.”

“Yes, Count?”

“Go to the capital’s temple. Bring me proof. I don’t care how much it costs. Just bring the evidence. Once you do—I’ll expose the truth about Hespelt for the world to see.”

“Of course, Count. Leave everything to me.”

Sheffer bowed deeply.

And as he did, a smug, mocking smile curled faintly across his face, hidden just beneath his lowered head.

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