Chapter 702

Queen Heriot and Princess Priscilla were walking through the palace of spring. Although Priscilla had a tendency to be moody, the real reason was the constant torment she had received from Amellia since she was young. Priscilla complained about living in the palace, but it was Amellia's choice to stay there. The Archmage listened to her daughter's complaints and asked her about her memories of when Rune first arrived. Priscilla had always found Rune cute, but there was a hint of sadness in her feelings. Her mother had always been preoccupied with the affairs of the empire and couldn't raise her properly, so Heriot had taken care of Amellia. In a way, Amellia had two mothers. "After giving birth to you... Queen Olivia also had the leisure to take Amellia to the Holy Empire. Seeing her mother's sad expression at that time, Priscilla felt an inexplicable heaviness. 'Priscilla is not at fault, but Amellia must have felt like her mother was taken away from her,' Heriot said. Olivia wanted to stay with her daughter, whom she couldn't raise in her arms, but Heriot couldn't let go of Priscilla after giving birth. However, from Amellia's perspective, she suddenly had to say goodbye to the mother who had raised her. So, she couldn't help but feel like her mother was taken away from her. There was a reason why Amellia had been tormenting Priscilla since she was young, even though it wasn't Priscilla's fault. Amellia was young, and still is, so she couldn't let go of that resentment. 'Then why does Amellia call you a witch?' Priscilla asked. 'It's because she's upset. It's not because she hates me... it's because she likes me too much,' Heriot replied. In the end, Priscilla found out why Amellia stayed in the Palace of Spring. She couldn't bear to be separated from it. 'I don't know, even if I want to live well, if she does it first, I don't know what to do,' Priscilla said. Knowing the reason for the hatred doesn't solve the problem. Therefore, Heriot could only smile sadly. 'And even when we meet, Mom and Queen Olivia fight,' Priscilla pointed out. In reality, even though they respected each other when they were not together, they still bickered when they met. They didn't fight like Amellia and Priscilla, but they inherited the same relationship. 'So, Mom can't get along with each other, but she tells us to get along?' Priscilla asked. 'I'll try to get along well with Mom! Then it's okay...! And I want to live well, but how can I do that when Queen Olivia always comes out like that!' Heriot's face turned red and started to tremble. 'Are you not going to say a word like your real father?!' Queen Olivia exploded." Amellia sat next to her mother, unable to sit still. Olivia looked at her daughter, who couldn't calm down.

"Do you still fight these days?"

It was obvious who she was talking about.

"That...she started it..."

"Is that so?"

"..."

At the questioning tone of the bishop, Amellia finally lowered her head.

"Why do you hate Priscilla so much?"

"..."

Amellia couldn't answer.

But she already knew why she hated her so much.

But because she knew it was her fault for not being there during her most needed childhood, she couldn't scold her daughter.

In fact, when Amellia returned to the Holy Empire, she cried every day.

She wanted to see her mother.

She wanted to be taken to her mother.

So reluctantly, the bishop had to take Amellia to the Palace of Spring occasionally.

Then, of course, such a situation occurred.

She didn't want to go back to the Holy Empire.

Holding the newborn Priscilla, Heriot Queen didn't know what to do, and Olivia couldn't help but feel helpless.

Repeatedly experiencing unwanted separations, Amellia began to think that everything was because of Priscilla.

If only Priscilla wasn't there, none of this would have happened.

"Priscilla is your family. Even if you can't treat her preciously, you shouldn't torment her."

"...She's not my family."

"..."

"Why is she my family just because she's like my father?"

"I see. That's how you think..."

Olivia laughed bitterly at Amellia's words.

She didn't even think of her as family.

No, she envied Priscilla.

Because Priscilla was the real daughter of the Archmage.

That's what she envied.

"Is it because I'm not really your daughter? Is that why you hate me now?"

"That's not it, Amellia... I'm sorry. I'm sorry... But if you do this... If I do this... It will make Heriot sad... Amellia..."

Olivia had seen her crying and clinging to Heriot while shouting like that from a distance.

Olivia could only watch Heriot sobbing and not knowing what to do.

And still.

Amellia doesn't call Olivia her mother.

As if the words wouldn't come out of her mouth.

There were parts that Olivia couldn't heal, even though she spent too much time with her daughter.

So even though she was her daughter, Amellia made it difficult for herself, and Olivia also made it difficult for her daughter.

She didn't want this to happen, but it happened.

So in the end, she reluctantly told her daughter to go to the temple and stay in the palace from now on.

Even though she knew that Amellia didn't want to go to the temple, but wanted to stay in the Palace of Spring.

But now that she knows why it happened, Amellia also feels sorry and guilty towards Olivia.

That's why she freezes like this when Olivia comes to visit occasionally.

Their relationship is only filled with guilt and apologies towards each other. Olivia didn't scold or reprimand Amellia. Olivia looked at her daughter's stiff face and smiled sadly. "To be honest, even if you had stayed with me in the Holy Empire, I don't think things would have been better than they are now." Amellia didn't answer her mother's question about Olivia's family background. Olivia tells Amellia that she was an orphan and didn't know how to be a good mother. Amellia feels guilty and apologizes to her mother. Therefore, when looking back on her words and actions, she can't help but feel guilty. "No. Because the Archmage cherished and loved you that much. If I was grateful, I should be grateful to him, not resent you." "Would he have cried only for you?" "He cried a lot too." "Seeing him cry, it must have felt like forcibly taking someone else's daughter, right?" "Anyway, he loved you like his own daughter." "He was a very grateful person." "How much did he love you that our daughter treated her real mother worse than others? Huh?" At the playful words, Amellia eventually starts to cry. She had thought about it countless times, but now it seems ridiculous. If she had raised her from the beginning, she might have been worse off, not better. She had come to think that way. "I'm sorry. I was wrong..." Amellia started to cry because she felt that she had given her mother the biggest wound, and Olivia just looked at her daughter quietly. She already knew what was wrong at this point. That was enough. She didn't say that she cried more than anyone else, even though she did cry more than the Archmage. No one can be happy with those words. "I'm not scolding you, Amellia." "...." "I don't even want to say that I'm upset. I didn't really do anything good for you either." Olivia looks up at the sky. "Are you grateful to the Archmage?" "...." "You should be grateful." "I am grateful..." Even if she complains and calls her a witch, Harryot can't help but feel embarrassed and sad when she just smiles. When Amellia explodes, she used to come secretly to stroke her hair until she fell asleep. Still not enough. Still sad. Olivia has never really scolded or punished Amellia, who only throws tantrums and even makes her daughter unable to live. That alone should be grateful. It just doesn't come out in words or actions. "The Archmage loved you so much even though you weren't his own daughter. Right?" "....Yes." "If that's the case, you should return the love you received to Princilla." Because you received that love. Repaying that love by loving the Archmage's daughter like a real sister is the real repayment, not trying to repay it to the Archmage. "Then that person will love you more than he does now." "...." Then he will love you more. "I won't smile with a sad expression because I'm grateful and happy. I'll smile because I'm truly happy and I'll love you more because of it. But in the end, it's sad to hear those words from your own mouth. Olivia playfully strokes her daughter's hair while hiding her true feelings. 'I'm not asking you to love me, but if you want to receive the love of your fake mother, then you should do it. Do you refuse?' Finally, Amellia steals a glance at her mother with tears in her eyes. It's not a demand to love her, but a request to love the person she thinks is her mother. In the end, Amellia understands that even though they haven't spent much time together, her mother really loves her a lot. 'I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'll do it like you said.' That's why Amellia forces her unmoving lips to speak. 'Yes, Mother... I'll do as you say.' Olivia smiles brightly as if satisfied with her words. 'Good, that's my daughter.' But then she adds, 'But... You know... If you don't control your temper now, it might come back to bite you later.' Amellia can't help but feel nervous at Seong-hu's teasing words. 'Just because she's your sister, doesn't mean you shouldn't receive proper treatment. Got it?' Seong-hu's words make Amellia feel uneasy. 'Yes...?' 'Be pretty on the outside but don't be a brat. You have to be clear about what's above and below.' Amellia couldn't tell if she was being told to hit or not to hit. 'Got it?' 'Uh, yes...'. She knows she's a bit strange herself, but her mother seems really strange. That's all Amellia can think."