Chapter 177

Chapter 177

Eldest Princess looked somewhat relieved:

"There's no point staying somewhere with no future. You don't belong here — I've always known that."

I didn't respond, just gazed at the gray sky in the distance.

So, the Eldest Princess was the owner of this dream world after all.

Youngest Princess, a beat behind everyone else, seemed to suddenly understand something, and the panic on her face was plain to see. But she didn't realize that this place wasn't real, and it wasn't the actual Salt Castle she had inherited.

Eldest Princess smiled and spoke to her:

"Don't be afraid, Youngest Princess. I'm your 'big sister,' aren't I? I'm really glad to have such a lively and sweet little sister like you."

Youngest Princess stared at her, completely stunned, unable to get a single word out.

Eldest Princess continued:

"I've been here alone all these years, and I've gotten used to it. Ophelia was the only one who ever cared about me — she stayed by my side the whole time."

"Eldest Princess......" I opened my mouth, wanting to say something.

"I know. When the link magic broke, I already knew."

Eldest Princess's expression was completely calm:

"Can you tell me what happened when she passed? What were the circumstances?"

"Of course."

I described everything in detail — from the moment I left the front lines and met the old servant, all the way to the end, especially the look on her face and her last words before she was gone.

Youngest Princess chimed in every now and then with her own additions.

"I see. I'm so glad Ophelia was able to leave with a smile." Eldest Princess's expression seemed to lighten a little.

Those two really understood each other without needing to say a word.

I understood, honestly. The person the old servant had cared about most in this world was Eldest Princess.

She had sacrificed herself to open the teleportation circle to save her — and in doing so, she had left this world at peace, with no regrets.

Eldest Princess knew that, too, of course.

As the three of us talked, the sky in the distance slowly began to lighten.

The sun rose little by little, and the daylight pushed back the dark.

Sunlight swept across the three of us — tired and a little worse for wear — casting three long shadows on the ground.

The black dragon's body in the lake slowly evaporated and disappeared in the light.

The three of us stood there watching the sun rise over the horizon, a little dazed, none of us saying anything for a moment.

Without realizing it, the day had finally come to an end.

It was morning.

"That was......" I heard myself say, "such a long day."

"We actually stopped the disaster." Youngest Princess watched the rising sun, her voice full of quiet wonder.

"A new day." Eldest Princess's expression seemed distant, like she was somewhere far away.

I came back to myself and looked down at the black dragon's remains, slowly fading away.

The truth was, the moment I had killed the black dragon, I had already earned the right to leave this dream.

That faint, flickering sense of connection to this world had returned.

I could feel it — if I focused, I could sever the link to this dream easily.

Come to think of it, when Youngest Princess had added to the story about the old servant Ophelia just now, she hadn't said a single negative thing about her.

That genuinely surprised me a little.

Eldest Princess watched Youngest Princess for a moment, her expression going somewhere far away.

When the Youngest Princess turned back around, Eldest Princess smiled and spoke:

"Before you go — do you have time to hear an old story?"

"Sure."

"Of course."

Eldest Princess cleared her throat and began to speak in the gentle, unhurried way of someone telling a bedtime story:

Once upon a time, there was an old king who had two beautiful daughters he loved very much.

One day, he asked them, "My daughters, what do you think love is?"

Eldest Princess answered, "Love is gold — the most precious thing anyone can have."

Youngest Princess answered, "Love is salt — something no one can live without."

......

Eldest Princess went on:

Later, Eldest Princess stole the sunlight from the entire kingdom to save the thing she treasured most.

And Youngest Princess, to protect the sunlight that everyone needed to survive, turned against her own sister.

War broke out.

In the end, the Eldest Princess lost everything she had ever held dear. And the people, the Youngest Princess had fought for, lost the very awareness that kept them alive.

Both of them lost the thing they had believed in most.

The eldest princess stopped there. The story was over.

In the sunlight falling on one side, her face looked soft and a little unclear.

Then she spoke quietly:

"What about you two? What do you think matters most — the things you treasure, or the things you can't live without?"

Youngest Princess thought carefully, then looked up and answered:

"I know who you're talking about. It's you and your sister, isn't it?"

Eldest Princess smiled at her and said:

"You're sharp — you figured it out right away. So then, dear 'Youngest Princess,' what's your answer?"

Youngest Princess laughed, unable to keep the smile out of her voice:

"I'm not that sharp, really."

Then her expression turned serious, and she answered:

"Big sister, maybe you've done things wrong before, but I think you're a good person. So I want to tell you a big secret."

Eldest Princess played along, putting on a curious look. "Oh? What kind of secret?"

Youngest Princess spoke with great gravity. "I don't want to lie to you. The truth is — I'm not actually Youngest Princess."

Eldest Princess kept up her surprised tone. "Oh my goodness, really......"

Youngest Princess's face was heavy. "I'm sorry. But even if it means giving up whatever power comes with being the so-called heir, I can't deceive you."

Then her expression eased into something calm and open. "That's right. I want to answer your question as myself — not as Youngest Princess."

Eldest Princess smiled and watched her, waiting.

Youngest Princess answered honestly, her face clear and steady:

"I lost the family I loved most in a disaster. My hometown was swallowed up by it, too.

There was a time when I thought that if I lost them, I couldn't go on living......"

As she listened, the lightness in the Eldest Princess's expression slowly gave way to something more serious.

Youngest Princess kept going:

"But life is a strange thing. After I lost the people most precious to me, I met so many others who were kind to me, who looked after me, who cared about me.

Little by little, I found new things to treasure.

I'm so glad I survived. If I hadn't, I never would have met Ruby, Isolde, or so many other wonderful people."

Youngest Princess looked Eldest Princess in the eyes and said with quiet sincerity:

"So I believe that the things you can't live without are the most important things of all.

Because as long as you're alive, you will always find more things worth treasuring."

Eldest Princess looked at the golden figure before her, and her vision slowly blurred.

"Ah...... yes......" her voice trembled slightly. "You're right......"

Youngest Princess noticed the tears and panicked a little, rushing to her side and stretching up on her toes to try to wipe them away.

But before she could, Eldest Princess pulled her into her arms.

"You're right...... I was wrong......"

Eldest Princess held the girl close and wept. "You're right...... my little sister......"