Vanessa began to dream, and in her dreams she was back in the land of summer, playing in the garden with her sister and sister, surrounded by her smiling mother and her father, who had become obscured.

"Why is your hair black and we're all hot brown-red?" The little sister Ilia laughed at her and undressed until she was naked, as she had been at birth.

"She's not Delin's seed!" The sister cursed at her and splashed herself with water.

No, I'm like you, I'm not going to be an illegitimate daughter, she yells at them, I'm not. I'm not.

"You wild seed, give me death!" Soranda whispered, and then pressed Vanessa's head into the water, and the princess felt her skin melt in the hot water, and the flesh fell from it, until at last only the head and bones remained, and the pool was thick with blood.

"Nope! I'm not! ”

Vanessa woke up screaming.

I am still in the dormitory of the Burning Flame Country, and the surroundings are still familiar scenes, but this is not my home, my home is in the far west, where there are flowers of the four seasons, beautiful and rich land, I am Vanessa of the Delin family, never change, never betray.

"Nightmares?" Reina's voice appeared in the corner, he was as dark and quiet as a shadow, he was always by my side.

Vanessa let out a sigh of relief, lifted the thin silk quilt, and walked to the table to pour herself a glass of lime wine, "Those nightmares are everywhere. ”

Reina was silent.

He must have thought I was talking about that. Vanessa felt a pain in her heart and drank all the wine in her glass, "Have you found out everything?" ”

The archer shook his head and stepped out of the shadows, "She does have a problem. Reina stretched out his hand, a snow-white stone lying in the palm of his hand, "I didn't even get close to her dwelling before I was pushed to the far north by a powerful magic. ”

Vanessa picked up the oval stone and looked at it, "What is this?" ”

"Pebbles in the Hopeless Land."

The princess looked at Reina, and saw that he was covered with dust, his cuffs and the corners of his coat were scratched by something, and his short linen hair, which was originally shiny and neat, was covered with cobwebs and dust, and when he looked at his feet, the pair of suede boots that she had chosen for him with her own hands were full of holes, and the toe of one foot was exposed, red and swollen in the moonlight, like five ripe berries.

"Sit down," Vanessa pressed Reyna's shoulders and pressed him to the bed, and in order not to wake the maid, she poured lime wine into a basin of water and brought it to Reyna's feet, "Don't tell me that you went to a hopeless place to fight with a brown bear over this stone." ”

Reina watched as Vanessa untied her quiver, removed her longbow, and finally unloaded her shoes, "No," he retracted his foot and stepped on the ground, "I'm fine, I want to go again." ”

"You're not allowed to go anywhere," Vanessa insisted on taking off his shoes and soaking in lime wine, "and you'll know what to do." ”

The cool liquor was like a breeze in the scorching heat, gently soothing Reina's swollen feet, and he closed his eyes slightly, enjoying the moment. "She lives in the back alley of the 'Princess's Heart' tavern, the house is not far from the gate, I can hear their conversation, but it's not very clear, there are two men in the house, one of whom is called the other 'Matt'. But just as I was about to climb over the courtyard wall and onto the roof, a powerful force pushed me out, and at the interval of a heartbeat, I was thrown into a hopeless place. I think I've fallen under the magic of the people in the house, and Sorenda has set a trap waiting for me because she had expected someone to sneak up on me. ”

Vanessa took off her soft leather vest for Reina and wiped his shoulders with a damp towel. "Matt? Will it be an ordinary person, or will it be the same Matt who has healing magic in his blood? Vanessa, who was familiar with the names of nobles from all over the world, couldn't help but think of the Ice Marsh Prince in Trent's mouth.

Reina closed his eyes, feeling the princess's slightly cool fingers occasionally touch his skin, "Their voices are all young, but one of them is clearly lacking in confidence. ”

"That's right." Vanessa wrung a handful of towels, "Every day blood is drawn to save people, even the fire dragon has no strength to fly." By the way, did you see what they looked like? ”

Reina shook his head and replied apologetically, "The doors and windows are closed, so I'm going to start with the roof." ”

"Looks like we really need to go again," Vanessa cleared up the cobwebs and dust from Reina's hair, and turned to him to wipe his face, "but this time you're going to visit openly." ”

Looking at each other, Reina hurriedly turned his gaze to the candlestick behind Vanessa, "You'll always have a way." ”

"And you, too, will always help me." Vanessa twisted Reina's face and forced him to look at herself,

The distance had never been so close, and Reina could even smell the breath between the princess's lips and teeth, which made him dizzy and almost unable to hold on, but memories and self-blame always took over, and his gaze gradually drooped, "How can I help?" ”

Damn, do you want me to kiss you? Vanessa thought annoyedly. If it were Brandt, I'm afraid he wouldn't have to hint at it, why is this brainless Reiner so sluggish?

After glaring at him for a while, the princess finally straightened up and said coldly: "Go and trick Solanda into the palace, and I will send Rogge to deal with the remaining two." ”

"I'm afraid Rogge won't help you kill."

"Of course he won't, and I don't need him to do that." Vanessa threw the towel into the basin, "The role of the bow and arrow is to shoot tigers and leopards, while the spear is mostly used for martial arts and watching, and I naturally know the difference between the two. ”

Reina didn't understand the princess's sudden anger, and was startled by the water droplets stirred up by the towel.

"Rog's magic is insight, and nothing escapes his insight, if that Matt is really the prince of the Icemarsh Country," Vanessa walked to the window and looked out at the Sleeping Dragon City in the middle of the night, the pitch-black battlements were connected like countless silent gargoyles, "I can't protect him, how can I kill him." ”

"And what about Solanda?" Reina didn't want to just let Vanessa's hateful sister go.

"Don't reveal her identity, I don't want Terrence to hold two princesses. Also," Vanessa turned her face to look at the archer, her eyes were complex, with worry and concern, but also inferiority and sadness, "her magic is love, don't get too close to her, just like don't get too close to me." ”

The princess opened the window for the archer and asked him to leave.

Reyna stood up, a knife-like pain coming from the bottom of his foot, but any pain seemed insignificant in the face of the pain in his heart. He walked over to Vanessa and reached for the curls of her sideburns, but the princess turned her head away, "I avoid you, not because I don't love you. The archer's calloused fingers were thick and strong, and he cupped Vanessa's cheeks and looked into the same blue eyes, "I can't be so selfish—"

!!

(l~1`x*>+``+