***Back To The Present***
Princess Liena was staring at Nuwa in a daze. How could this little girl determinedly promise to marry that infamous, bloodthirsty emperor, Qiu Feng Mian, without even blinking an eye? How could she isn't aware of her dangerous future?
Even her Emperor grandfather was afraid of Qiu Feng Mian's unfathomable power. She always heard about his dark history from her grandfather. 'Failer' was never in his dictionary. Whenever his footsteps fell to a kingdom, even if it was mistakenly, he would conquer it in his grasp by all means.
He was born to be a ruler, though as the worst; ruthless one.
Liena heeded that Nuwa's petite body was shaking violently, her hands were tightly clenching into a fist. Even though she could not see Nuwa's face due to the vail, Liena could understand that Nuwa was panicking inside but trying to act strongly in front of her. She could discern the enormous amount of fears were emitting of Nuwa's eyes.
Liena recalled all the promises she made three years ago. How she would protect Nuwa from all the uncertain dangers, give her a familial love, a bright future and setting her free from all the burdens to make her dreams come true.
She finally realized that she was a liar. She was delusionally deceiving herself by calling herself Nuwa's savior.
It was Nuwa who protected her all this time...
To protect her, Nuwa learned martial arts and became her bodyguard a.k.a. assassin. She learned all the necessary things Liena learned to carry on her graceful image, and even changed her identity and became her body double. Nuwa was so engrossed with helping Liena regaining her lost confidence and building up a good public image that she even forgot herself.
Liena realized her father as well her family adopter Nuwa only for her protection.
Just how many sacrifices did Nuwa make all this time?
She was caging Nuwa with her selfish desires.
How dare she was highly considered herself as a savior!
Who was the actual savior?
'Hahaha~ It was always me being saved by others. Because of me, my brother sacrificed his life. And now Nuwa too. Why I'm a burden to my loved ones?'
Her heart was filled with guilt and bitterness. The never-ending vicious cycle of fate, just when it was gonna stop? Why God was so cruel to her? Why her loved ones always sacrificed because of her?
She was deeply disappointed.
Disappointed because she was weak.
'Why?'
'Why I'm so weak?'
'Can't I become normal like ordinary girls?'
'Can't I become powerful?'
'Can't I protect my family like they always did for me?'
'Just for once, can't I repay their kindness?'
'Isn't there any God? If there is, then why He doesn't listen to my prayers?'
Tears started to roll down from the corner of her eyes. She felt unimaginable pain coming from all of her body, she could hardly breathe. However, she didn't care. She tearfully looked at Nuwa and murmured.
"...I...am....sorry..."
"...F-forgive...me..."
Liena's eyelids were becoming heavier. Darkness was slowly engulfing her consciousness. She tried her hardest to breathe. However, as always, she couldn't fight against her will. For the last time, she looked at her parents, family and finally... Nuwa.
Slowly, she went into the land of deep slumber. However, before she was gulped by the darkness, she saw a familiar figure was weaving hands and calling her. Seeing that face, the corner of her lips broke into a small smile as she breathed out her remaining breaths.
#####
"What happened?"
"Why she is not breathing?"
Empress Dowager shouted when she saw Liena's breathing was becoming low and unsteady. Her face became white to see this. She started crying,
"Endure my child, please endure."
"What is happening to my granddaughter? Tell me?" She asked the physician.
The imperial physician kowtowed and started to mourn.
"F-Forgive me, your highness."
"P-Princess...is...no...more."
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!"
The people who were patiently waiting outside, forgot all of the so-called formalities after hearing empress's shrill outcry as they hurriedly entered the room. King Lin's face turned ashen when he saw his beloved daughter's condition. As an expert in battlefields who saw countless of deaths, he already assumed what happened. So he ran towards her bed and cried, saying,
"Forgive me, child. Forgive me... This useless father couldn't save you... Couldn't save his any children."
In his entire life, he had never cried before, not even when his beloved son Prince Bengt died. He was a hopeless father. He felt his earth was shattering into pieces. Everything was gone. Now, his life had no meanings.
For whom he should continue living?
His daughter was even laughing yesterday. And now...how?
He started sobbing when grabbing her hand.
Everyone started to follow his suit, kowtow the ground and started crying.
Queen Lin could not tolerate anymore, she lost her consciousness and loudly fall on the ground. The maids and physicians became terrified so they hurriedly scoop up her body and started her treatment in another room.
Amongst the chaos, only Nuwa was stupidly standing in the middle of the room like a statue. She robotically observed the whole room, which was filled with people's mourn and cries. Her heart was filled with turmoil.
'What is happening? Why they are crying?'
She couldn't comprehend with the sudden turn of events. Unlike before, she forgot crying. She sat on the edge of Princess Liena's bed, and for a long time, she stared at her face.
"Either in hell or on this earth, I will burn whoever did this."
Nuwa determinedly lashed out with vicious words, before her emotions hysterically broke out.
[Note: Unedited chapter.]