LSOV Chapter 02 — [R15]

002. The Kingdom's Treasure

A few hours ago, Father—King Yones II of Lundra—summoned all members of the royal family to the Audience Hall in the Central Palace.

It was unusual to call the royals together without notice, so I hurried to the hall.

As soon as I entered, the first thing I saw was Father and Mother seated on the high platform… and Rachel standing before them.

When I stepped in, my eldest brother Shade glanced at me. I took my place beside my brothers.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet the Princess of Owen, the strongest land."

At first, I didn't understand what Father meant.

A princess?

The only people in the Audience Hall were my family and Rachel Rich, who was Daimond's friend.

I had heard the news that a princess from Owen would soon visit the Lundra Kingdom for travel. But the girl standing in front of me right now was Rachel.

"Greetings to His Majesty the King of Lundra, ruler of the most beautiful land. I am Rachel Widnes of the Owen Empire."

"Raise your head."

What does this mean?

I turned to my second brother, Daimond. He was glaring sharply at Rachel.

"I received a letter stating that the Princess studied at our kingdom's First Academy. The sender was Rachel Widnes, yes, you. But the academy's registry identifies you not as a princess, but as Rachel Rich of the Viscount Rich family."

Daimond graduated the year he turned twenty. Rachel, who was the same age as Daimond, would have graduated then as well.

After Daimond graduated, I knew that his friends had been looking for Rachel. They had said she disappeared.

And now, after eight years, Rachel had returned.

As a princess.

And she openly admitted that she had concealed her identity in the past while studying at the academy.

"I acknowledge that I hid my identity. However, thanks to that, I was able to receive an excellent education at the Lundra Kingdom's academy. I am grateful for Your Majesty's grace in governing this kingdom."

"The kingdom had no knowledge that a princess was within our borders. Explain why you've chosen to reveal the truth only now."

For a brief moment, it felt as though Rachel and I made eye contact.

It was so fleeting that I couldn't be sure she had actually looked at me. Honestly, she might have been looking at Daimond instead of me.

"Your Majesty, during my time at the Academy, I saved Prince Daimond's life twice. I wish to request compensation for that."

Beside me, I heard Daimond sharply inhale.

"Is this the will of the Imperial Family?"

"I have not yet informed His Imperial Majesty of the exact circumstances in which I saved Prince Daimond. However, the Emperor does know that I once lived in the Kingdom of Lundra."

Father fell silent for a moment.

"Did you enroll in our Academy with the intention of gaining leverage over our kingdom?"

"No, Your Majesty. I had no ulterior motives when I entered the Academy. I simply became involved in incidents with Prince Daimond by coincidence. Eight years ago, Your Majesty told me that my deeds would be rewarded. I am here to request that reward."

Back when Daimond attended the Academy, I was still very young. The Elementary Division's schedule was short, so I spent most of my days in the palace.

I had no idea Daimond had faced danger, nor that Rachel had once saved his life.

"What is it that you desire?"

"Something precious."

"Speak."

For the King of Lundra, nothing is more precious than the lives of the royal family.

"I want the kingdom's treasure."

I heard Daimond grinding his teeth.

"That is excessive. You ask for the literal treasure of the kingdom. You are essentially demanding the very history of Lundra. Ask for something else."

"During my years at the Academy, I witnessed firsthand how great the Kingdom of Lundra is… and how vulnerable. If the Empire, or the international community, were to learn of this information…"

Silence fell around us. Father's expression hardened.

A royal institution had failed to notice a foreigner hiding her identity. That alone implied flaws in the kingdom's intelligence and security.

Rachel was claiming this could become a major international weakness.

Rachel then turned her body toward me.

"Even Princess Daisy here does not know what happened eight years ago, correct? Once the truth spreads, the Kingdom of Lundra will not escape consequences."

In the entire Audience Hall, only Rachel was smiling.

Her sharp lips curved even more sharply, and a fierce gleam lit her eyes. Rachel felt unfamiliar to me, like a different person.

"In the face of the kingdom's risk, what meaning does one ancient treasure hold? I am not asking Lundra to surrender its treasure to the Empire. I only request that you lend it… for three years."

Rachel was unwavering.

Lundra possessed only one object known as its national treasure, the Dragon's Tear, which King Theseus I had held on the day the dragon Lundra died.

To lend such a symbolic artifact would cause immense turmoil in the international community.

But that was exactly the power dynamic Rachel was demanding. The message was simple, Lundra had been caught in such a disadvantageous position that it must even lend its treasure to the Empire.

But there was one thing Rachel did not know.

Contrary to what the world believed, the dragon's magic consisted of three spells, a truth known only to the royal family of Lundra.

[Those not born of this land shall not stand upon it.]

This was the first spell, the magic with which Dragon Lundra protected this land.

[You and your descendants shall live forever under the name of Lundra.]

The second spell, the magic with which the dragon kept its oath.

[This land shall never lack in remembering Lundra's will.]

And the third, the magic that remained in the Dragon's Tear, the spell that preserved Lundra's will.

To make this land beautiful once more.

It was the Dragon's Tear that bestowed four seasons upon the northern kingdom of Lundra. Because of the shifting seasons, the people of the kingdom could grow crops, fish, trade, and craft their goods.

Thus, Rachel's demand to borrow the kingdom's treasure was an outright threat, one far more serious than even she herself understood.

"I believe in the honor of the kingdom that bears Dragon Lundra's name."

Rachel desired only one thing, the kingdom's treasure.

Father made no effort to hide his displeasure. There was no reason for a king to mask his expression in front of someone demanding the nation's most sacred artifact.

"Rachel! You dare speak of honor?"

Daimond stepped forward and shouted.

Shade blocked him with an arm. Daimond clenched his fists tightly, then turned his head away.

"I heard the Princess arrived in Lundra early this morning. Please rest for today, and we shall resume our discussion tomorrow."

"Your Majesty, ruler of the most beautiful land, thank you for granting me your precious time."

Rachel gave a formal Lundra-style bow and left the Audience Hall.

A heavy silence settled in her wake. Father rested his elbow on the armrest and propped his chin on his hand.

"Your Majesty, we cannot allow the Dragon's Tear to leave this land. The moment it crosses the border, the dragon's third spell will break."

Shade, the eldest brother, spoke.

"But if we refuse to give her the treasure, the Empire will reveal our weakness to the world. It may even lead to war. Either way, the lives of our people will suffer."

"Your Majesty! Our security was not lax. I have no idea how Princess Rachel managed to conceal her identity so flawlessly."

Shade's voice trembled with contained anger.

The royals before us were engulfed in anger, confusion, and conflict. And it was a clear sign that, in the end, our kingdom of Lundra would be the one to suffer for it.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is the princess—about the incident eight years ago…"

Father stopped mid-sentence. His gaze landed on me.

There must have been a reason he never told me about that incident. I had never tried to pry into national secrets anyway. So instead, I made a joke.

"Since it concerns Brother Daimond, how about sending him to the Empire?"

It was meant to lighten the mood.

But that little joke suddenly triggered a new idea.

The kingdom had one more treasure. A treasure that could be sent to the Empire instead.

"We can give the kingdom's treasure."

"If it's for three years, the people of the kingdom will suffer greatly!"

Daimond raised his voice slightly.

He knew as well as anyone that this was a no-win situation. He was simply frustrated, so frustrated it spilled out as anger.

"If it were the Dragon's Tear, yes. But our royal family knows of another treasure, don't we?"

Father and Mother looked at me with startled eyes. Mother spoke in a trembling voice.

"Daisy… what are you saying?"

"Lend me to the Empire. After all, I am a treasure of the Kingdom of Lundra."

"Daisy! You-!"

Daimond grabbed my shoulders. Shade spun around toward me, eyes widened.

"My true name, 'Leatria,' means 'treasure.'"

The dragon's second spell was a blessing for the Lundra royal bloodline. No one could harm a royal if they did not know their true name.

Accidents or injuries from daily life were, of course, possible. But any weapon wielded with murderous intent would deflect instantly, and any dangerous magic targeting a royal would be nullified.

For this reason, the royal family of Lundra gives their true names in the ancient language from the era when the dragon Lundra lived, and they never reveal them to the world.

And my true name, Leatria, meant treasure. I was Leatria of Lundra—the treasure of Lundra.