Chapter 17 (1/2)

Chapter 17 – Reading books by e

My nahter My gentle and reliable father is the pri I also had a very kind and beautiful mother and older brother

I was born into a wealthy and respectable house, and am blessed with a wonderful faiven a lot of happiness from my family

Because of this though…… There was a price to be paid for s……

I wasn’t born the same as everyone else

My hair was completely devoid of any color and was pure white, and my eyes were the color of blood

My appearance was different from everyone

Whenever I went outside, I would be looked at strangely, and people would call me the “cursed child” behind my back

Even so, my family loved ently,me, and my brother always stayed close to protect me

My kind family says that one day someone who accepts me for who I am will appear…… That I will definitely be able toto appear

And so, I mostly shut myself in my room This way, I won’t catch people’s attention……

And I would always be reading books inside et about my painful reality

I opened my favorite book, a story about the friendshi+p between a princess and a coirl “The Emerald Princess and Sophia” One of the main characters had the sairl with beautiful black hair and black eyes In front of such a wonderful Sophia, the princess of the country appeared

“You really do have such beautiful hair May I touch it just a little?” The princess said so to Sophia while s Sophia smiled back shyly

It’s a wonderful story that the cursed me will never be able to experience

So, alone in ine myself to be the main character of the story I can only becoination……

“Sophia, please join the tea party at the castle”

One day, my father said this to o outside, everyone would look at o outside and experience that That’s what I said as I refused However, father who always listened to what I wanted would not budge his ground today

“Listen up, Sophia You have ic power That means that when you turn fifteen, you’ll be required to attend ic school You won’t be able to always hole yourself up in your roo hosted by the princes, andSoic school with you I know it h on you, and I don’tused to the outside world little by little”

Certainly, it’s ic school once I turn fifteen I know that I can’t always stay inmake believe all the time

I have to start getting used to things little by little – I sue I had and decided to participate in the tea party

And so I attended ether with my brother

The extravagant tea party was held in a corner of the castle garden There were more people there than I had ever seen before At first, I tried the ether with my brother, but……

As soon as I strayed a little from my brother, I was immediately surrounded by sorim faces

And then they brought arden

“Hey you, don’t you know that this is a very special occasion where the princes are hosting a tea party for the first time!?”

“That’s right! If a cursed child like you comes here, it’ll spoil the atmosphere!”

“To begin with, you shouldn’t even be co out in public when you look like that!”

All of theether

I know that I’, and I know that it’s to be expected for theht, I shouldn’t have leftthat it would be much better if I could always live a sheltered life inso –

“Could you please let me pass?”

I heard a clear voice froirl standing there with a dignified air about her as if she was the Emerald Princess from the story

With one line froirl, she easily made the people around me scatter and flee

I don’t really understand exactly what happened…… But even so, I understood that this girl had helped me

And while I was still confused, the girl sly I just stared at her back all the while

After that, I hid behind the tree for a while, and then returned to the tea party later after confir that none of the people froain by accident

I wanted to thank her for helping e I had and tried to speak to the girl

“Uh,”

When she turned around to look at ed from earlier

“Uhh…… (Thank you for earlier…)”

I was so nervous that I couldn’t speak Her light blue eyes were looking atsuddenly

“Your hair is just like silk! I wonder if I may touch it just a little bit?”

“……Eh!?”

That’s a line from “The Emerald Princess and Sophia” which I’ve read dozens of tiirl that had a chance irl with a dignified atmosphere – her name was –

“……Emerald Princess!”

By reflex, I said it out loud Then –

“The Emerald Princess romance novel!! You know the story ‘The Emerald Princess and Sophia!?’”

Before I realized it, the girl before rabbed my shoulders I was just, coirl just say the Eht now, she’s grabbingon

Also – up to now, I’ve seen lots of strange looks or cold looks aimed at me, but……

This girl was looking at ot evenher eyes

And so, I was overwheloing on, just continued to nod in response to her questions……

“What are you doing, nee-san?”

I heard a questioning voice from beside her When I looked towards the source of the voice, I saw a handso there It seeirl must know each other

“Ah, I’m really sorry”

Upon being confronted by the boy, the girl released rasped the hems of her dress and curtsied

“I apologize for ed to be in your care”

I was fascinated by her gestures that really seemed to be like the princess from the story And so before I realized it I was hurriedly introducing myself in return

“……I’m Sophia Ascarot”

And then, after that, so unbelievable happened

“Sophia-saht with you, would you like to chat with me for a bit?”

This Katarina girl was holding my hands as she said so

What on earth is this girl talking about…… I wondered if she was joking with me

I was just too stunned to understand the situation And then –

“Well then, Sophia-sama Next time, won’t you please come over to play with me at my place?”

“……Ah, okay”

Before noticing it… I pro the pro to decide if this was reality, or if perhaps this was just one of ination