Kidnapped Princess C27

Chapter 27

Before me stood a stunning beauty—her golden hair glittered in the sunlight like liquid gold, and her eyes shimmered a crystalline blue, as if the heavens themselves had been captured within them. Her refined dress only accentuated her radiance. She sat half-perched on the edge of my bed, gently patting my cheek to wake me.

“I waited for you to come, but since you didn’t, I came to fetch you. Sleeping in isn’t good for you.”

The once-small child was gone, replaced by Luminas—a woman of breathtaking grace. No matter how often I saw her now, I still couldn’t quite get used to it. The little Luminas who used to cling to me had become a memory of the past.

Children grow up far too quickly.

“You should eat, Your Majesty.”

Her voice was soft and delicate—like petals fluttering in the breeze—as she tried to lift me from bed. If it had been Elvin, I’d have thrown him out the window by now, but with Luminas, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

“Sorry, Luminas… Eat breakfast without me today.”

“No.”

Another thing that had changed—when she was younger, she would have reluctantly nodded if I said I was busy. Now, she spoke with firmness, her refusals direct and unwavering. But she hadn’t lost all traces of her younger self; she still puffed out her cheeks adorably and turned her head away in defiance.

She should’ve looked ridiculous acting like that at her age… yet, all I could think was how unbearably cute she was. I was hopeless. Which was probably why I ended up giving in to her words without much resistance.

“Come on, up you go. You’re eating with me today. Skipping meals isn’t good for you.”

And just like that, I was the one being pulled up by her hands, as if I were the sleepy child and she the adult.

When did our roles reverse? Ever since Luminas had grown up, it felt like I was the one being looked after.

She’d learned the art of attending others from Nyx and practiced it religiously. Her morning greeting had become routine, a duty she never once forgot. The only question was—would she arrive first, or would Elvin beat her to it?

Judging by the earlier commotion outside, I was certain those two had been at each other’s throats again. And, as if on cue—

“You insolent brat! How dare you wake His Majesty from his sleep! Do you have a death wish?!”

A battered Elvin stumbled through the door, his clothes torn and his tone full of righteous fury. I sighed and shook my head.

Normally, I would’ve told him not to speak so harshly to Luminas, but the state he was in left me at a loss for words. I glanced at Luminas, who smiled sweetly—an innocent, radiant smile that contrasted completely with Elvin’s outrage.

I could already guess what they’d fought about: who would be the first to greet me in the morning. Utterly trivial, but to them, it was a deadly serious matter.

They used to be on good terms—teacher and student, even. Now, they were more like mortal rivals.

“Lord Aide,” Luminas said smoothly, her voice honeyed but cold. “You should’ve stayed in bed. I’ll be taking care of His Majesty. Go handle your duties.”

Her smile toward me was warm like spring sunlight; the one she gave Elvin was sharp as winter frost. Where had she learned that expression? Then I remembered—Lilith. Of course. And her habit of solving things with force… well, that she’d definitely picked up from the demons around her.

“My duty is to care for His Majesty!” Elvin protested.

“Oh, really? Then perhaps you should focus on official matters. His personal life, however, is my responsibility—as his bride. Don’t you think His Majesty would prefer that?”

Luminas turned to me with a dazzling smile that could have felled nations. I, helplessly bewitched, nodded. Elvin looked as though the world had just ended.

“Elvin,” I said, trying to sound reasonable, “you’re the elder. Be the bigger man.”

I bit back the rest—she’s still young. Lately, she hated when I said that. Maybe it was adolescence setting in.

“Your Majesty!” Elvin cried, scandalized.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. My drowsiness vanished completely.

Elvin looked utterly defeated, but he didn’t dare retaliate. There was a reason Luminas could enter my chambers freely while even Elvin hesitated to do so.

She really has grown up…

Demons are weak to holy power—that rule never changed. And sometimes, when I looked at Luminas, I wondered if the radiant glow surrounding her wasn’t her beauty but the faint shimmer of divine energy.

The little girl who’d once promised to grow stronger had kept her word. No one dared deny her status as my bride now. Not because of my declaration—but because Luminas herself would not allow it.

I still couldn’t forget the day she’d beaten a demon to the ground for insulting her title. Sweet and docile in my presence, she had another side altogether. I often received reports about it, in fact…

So this is what they mean by environment shaping the child.

It worried me how she tended to solve problems with brute strength. Not that those demons didn’t deserve it, but still—I sighed deeply.

“Your Majesty? What’s wrong? Is there something on my face?”

“No… I was just thinking how much you’ve grown.”

“Of course! I’m not a child anymore. Soon, I’ll officially become Your Majesty’s bride.”

I looked away.

She’d been saying that since she was small. I thought she’d grow out of it, but she hadn’t. There were countless paths she could take, and yet her answer never changed.

“Your Majesty?”

She tilted her head, then suddenly reached out, cupping my cheeks and making me look at her. She knew exactly how weak I was to her face.

“You do know that, right?”

“Mm… Of course. I know.”

“Then that’s all that matters.”

The fleeting glint in her eyes softened into tenderness again. The sudden shift was so quick it sent a chill down my spine.

Lilith. This was absolutely Lilith’s fault.

Bring me back my innocent little Luminas! Humans aged too quickly. I wanted her to stay the sweet, adorable child she’d been. Not that I disliked the woman she’d become… but still.

“Lord Aide, you should get ready too,” Luminas said coolly. “The day’s already half gone.”

She swept open the curtains, sunlight spilling into the room like liquid gold.

“She really has grown up…” I murmured.

She might no longer be that small, wide-eyed child—but she was still Luminas. Still precious.

“Hmm? What was that?”

“Nothing.”

I reached out and ruffled her hair. She immediately touched the spot with a pout.

“Please stop treating me like a child.”

She grumbled under her breath, clearly annoyed, but she still seemed so young to me. I almost teased her, saying she needed to eat more and grow taller—until I caught myself.

“…Well, you certainly have grown,” I admitted.

I couldn’t deny it. She was still younger than me, but by human standards, she was nearly an adult. I no longer had to look down quite so far to meet her eyes.

Humans really do grow fast, I thought wryly. At this rate, she might actually catch up to my height one day.

“That won’t happen,” she said coolly.

“Huh?”

Apparently, I’d spoken aloud.

“I like being just tall enough to fit perfectly in Your Majesty’s arms.”

With a bright smile, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me. She still fit easily against my chest—but her head brushed my chin now. For a moment, her embrace was surprisingly strong, almost enough to make me stumble.

“I don’t want to grow anymore,” she murmured quietly, face pressed against my chest.

I tilted my head. She’d always said she wanted to grow up quickly, to become my bride—and now she didn’t want to grow at all? Well, she was growing fast enough to scare anyone.

Seven years had passed since she’d come to me. I still didn’t know her exact age, but if she’d been around three when she arrived, she’d be about ten now—right at that rapid stage of growth. Add adolescence to that, and… well, there it was.

Wouldn’t she want to catch up to me in height? I hadn’t thought it possible before, but maybe it wasn’t so far-fetched now. She was tall for a girl, though she’d probably stop growing soon.

And since I wasn’t exactly short myself, she’d always fit comfortably in my arms anyway. But seeing her anxious expression, I smiled.

“I think tall women are beautiful, you know? Even if you grow taller, you’ll still be as lovely as ever. You don’t have to worry about that.”

I stroked her hair gently. She turned her head aside, cheeks flushing red. Under her breath, she muttered something faint.

“You like… smaller women, don’t you?”

Her voice was so quiet I barely caught it. When I asked what she’d said, she refused to repeat it, so I let it go and just smiled, patting her head again.

Humans were always sensitive during adolescence, after all.

“Come on, let’s go eat. What’s for breakfast today? Did you cook again?”

“Of course. I prepared Your Majesty’s favorite dishes. I’d like to hear your thoughts afterward.”

“Everything you make is delicious.”

Tears almost pricked my eyes as I looked at the feast spread across the table—it truly was a royal meal.

When she was small, I hadn’t even let her near fire, worried she’d burn herself. Now she could cook entire meals on her own, often setting the table just for me. She could easily have left it to the castle cooks, but she insisted on doing it herself, carefully balancing nutrition and taste for my sake.

Wasn’t it just yesterday that she burned everything so badly we ended up eating charred sandwiches?

Those old memories still made me smile.

Back then, she’d been so embarrassed about failing that she’d hidden her cooking entirely. I’d once stormed into the kitchen myself, determined to taste her food no matter what—only to pass out moments later from the shock of it.

It was… quite the experience.

But even that had become a fond memory.

Since then, she’d practiced relentlessly, feeding her dishes to nearby demons and asking for criticism. Through constant effort, her skills had grown—her food had shape, balance, and flavor now.

Even the head chef acknowledged her ability.