The Fifth Princess Strategy: Rewriting The War-Torn World

Chapter 12

It's been a week since I met that being. I have a feeling it was Cassiopeia.

Since she told me that I would meet Maya, I've been anticipating it. My sweet darling, I miss her more than anything.

Her cute nudges, the way she'd demand food, and how she'd purr softly when I petted her. I remember pressing my face into her soft belly after a hard day of work.

Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes.

Everything flashes before me now, and I can't help but wait for her, feeling as helpless as a headless chicken. There's this void in my chest that only Maya can fill. I know Cassiopeia promised I'd meet her again, but the waiting... it's unbearable.

One thing I've noticed is that all my sisters seem to be having a hard time too. It started around the same time as me. Maybe it's because we've all started teething? I've heard that babies become quite irritable when their teeth come in.

But this... this feels different. Deeper. More painful.

Everyone is better now—at least on the surface. Alice, however, has been ignoring me these days, even blatantly. She used to joke around with me a lot, telling me about boys and all sorts of things. Now, we barely talk. It's as if we've become estranged.

It reminds me of a girl I knew in the orphanage. I think I was 10 then. She got adopted, and even though we still went to the same school, she started distancing herself from me. The same feeling is creeping in now.

I sigh heavily.

Positive thoughts... positive thoughts. I repeat it twice because it's important.

"Ughhhh..." I groan quietly.

And Iris—she worries me more than anyone. She looks so... wary. She's constantly taking glances at me, the way I used to with our godmother. Just like how I used to gauge her mood, waiting for something to happen. But here, I'm the godmother, aren't I?

Dorothy's nightmares have calmed down, thank the stars. But it still breaks my heart every time I hear her sniffling and whimpering "sorry" in her sleep. What could she possibly be sorry for? I want to help her, but I don't even know how to help myself.

With some effort, I lift my head.

Yes, finally. I, Cordelia Mary Louise Natra, have raised my head—something that has been heavier than my body for weeks now.

I didn't mention it before because, well, it's a bit embarrassing. As a 20-year-old adult, not being able to control my own body has been... quite difficult. But now...

Drumroll please...

I can lift my head and turn over a little!

I raise my head to see Elanor sitting up. My stupid ego deflates like a balloon. Of course, she's ahead of me. As expected from the daughter of a warrior—Consort Valeri? Valaria? Ughhhh... Consort Valeria. Right.

I really should start memorizing the names properly. It'll be bad if I embarrass myself later due to ignorance.

Haha, I just realized—I've become much happier recently. Guess Maya did her magic on me even before she's here. She's my emotional power bank. I can't function too well without her.

I smile wistfully, imagining her in my arms again. That's when I feel a sharp stare across my face. What...?

I blink, startled, wondering what made Elanor upset now.

I glance up, only to see Alice.

"What's wrong?" I blurt out, surprised. Is she finally willing to talk it out with me? No, it doesn't seem so simple.

Alice's expression is hard to read, but I can see the anger simmering beneath her blank face. "Snap out of it, Cordelia," she says coldly. "You've been moping around for days. It's affecting all of us."

I gape at her, the sharpness of her words slicing through me. "Moping?"

"Yes, moping. Ever since you started whispering that name in your sleep. 'Maya,' over and over again." She spits the name like it's poison. "You're scaring everyone."

I try to explain, "Maya is—"

"I don't care," Alice interrupts, her voice trembling. "I don't care who Maya is or why you're obsessed with her. You're here now, with us. You need to be present."

Her words cut deeper than I expected. I didn't realize how much my absence was affecting them. No, I didn't realize it even though it was right in front of my face. Maybe I thought I wouldn't matter. After all, I am someone foreign to them. But I guess for people who have suffered so much in their past, a depressing environment itself breeds negative thoughts.

I should have kept my emotions in check. Alice, who used to joke and talk with me, is now angry and distant. Iris, constantly watching me with worry. Dorothy, having nightmares every night. Elanor seems troubled, but she understands. Ugh, I don't know.

I bite my lip. "I'm sorry," I mumble, looking down at my hands. "I didn't mean to worry you."

Alice softens a little, her hand unclenching, dropping to her side. "We're all in this together, Cordelia. You don't have to carry the weight alone."

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. "I know."

She looks away without another word, and I'm left sitting there, awestruck. I touch my face—tears. It hurts, but maybe I needed that wake-up call. I guess I got a little too full of myself. It was never just about me.

As I sit in silence, the moonlight streams through the window, casting shadows across the room. I stare at the ceiling, thinking about Maya, about my sisters, and about what Alice said.

Cassiopeia's words echo in my mind: You will meet her soon.

Right, it will all get better when Maya is here. I just have to hold on a little longer.