Raised in Dungeon

When Allen saw that Felicia had finally awakened from her long slumber, a rush of emotions surged through him. Without giving it a second thought, he hastily fled from the scene, his heart pounding in his chest. He swiftly made his way to where Rachel and Reynold were waiting and immediately told them about it.

"Lady!" Rachel exclaimed, crying. Behind her were several maids, who followed her. Rachel immediately hugged Felicia.

"Rachel?!" Felicia said, she was shocked that Rachel had never hugged her like that. Perhaps because of Allen's influence, the caste wall between Rachel and Felicia was thinning.

"You're finally back... thank goodness," Rachel muttered.

Felicia, however, was immediately confused by what Rachel had said.

"Back? What does that mean?"

"From your long sleep," came Reynold from outside, along with Ayde and Michael.

"Fa-father, mother, and... who is that?"

Michael hid behind his mother's body when Felicia saw him.

"This is Michael, your brother, who was born three years ago."

"Th-three years ago?!"

Once all the maids were told to depart, Reynold followed suit, citing unfinished tasks that required his attention. As a result, Ayde, Michael, Rachel, and Felicia were left as the sole occupants of the room.

Despite Rachel's dedicated care over the past three years, Felicia's health has remained fragile, and her skin looks weak and pale. The absence of adequate nutrition has had a significant impact, evident in her noticeably wrinkled skin. Felicia's growth has also been stunted, with minimal physical changes occurring since three years ago.

Slowly and deliberately, Felicia was informed about the situation. The unsettling situation unfolded within the palace, from the events that had transpired to the bestowed title she had acquired from others. About she had been in a deep slumber for three years. Moreover, about Allen in these 3 years.

"So that guy just now was really Allen... It seems like he's changed a lot in the past three years," Felicia muttered. "Where did he go?"

"Aah... I asked him to come, but he said he couldn't meet you for a while, so I'll ask him to look after you tonight," Rachel replied.

"I see..."

Felicia looked at her right hand and recalled her dream from earlier.

'So Allen was holding my hand all along,' Felicia thought with slightly teary eyes. She somehow wanted to see Allen once again.

Throughout the day, Felicia remained quietly resting in her room. Despite Rachel's daily care, it seemed that Felicia's muscles were still not working properly. Slowly, she began to exercise, moving her hands and her grip. While exercising, she kept looking at the door, hoping that Allen would come. She wanted to talk to him about many things, and one of them was that she didn't want Allen to feel guilty about what he did that night. Because from the beginning, she was the one who walked away from Allen, not Allen who left her.

However, that whole day, even after nightfall, Allen was never came.

...

The next day, Felicia emerged from the confines of her room, determined to make progress in her recovery journey.

Because her leg muscles were still not functioning properly, she walked using a wheelchair to exercise her hands. The physician outlined a strict regimen to rehabilitate her legs. For five hours daily, Felicia was instructed to use clutches to gradually strengthen her leg muscles and reclaim her ability to walk independently again.

That morning, Felicia came to the training room for leg rehabilitation with Rachel. But as she entered the room, Felicia immediately saw Allen jumping out of the window.

"Wha-what the hell is that?! Hey Rachel, what does that mean?!" Felicia shouted.

"I don't know either; maybe he still feels guilty about what he did back then."

"How annoying! If he really felt guilty, he should have met me face-to-face and apologized in person!"

'But how could he think of that! He's supposed to be the type of person who doesn't care about other people!'

When Felicia made her way to the training room, she had anticipated encountering Allen engrossed in his swordplay or injuring his hand for his blessing experiment. However, upon arrival, it became immediately apparent that Allen was actively avoiding interaction with her.

From that point forward, Felicia wandered aimlessly throughout the house in search of Allen. Yet every time she managed to locate him, he would promptly distance himself from her presence. Whenever she saw him, he would immediately walk away from her.

__Three days passed, and Felicia still hadn't spoken to Allen.

"Aaah! How annoying! Why do I have to be the one to look for him?! He is my knight! He's supposed to protect me, not run away from me!" shouted Felicia as Rachel brushed her hair.

"It's alright, Lady. Just give him some time."

Rachel somehow wanted to have Felicia all to herself, at least from now on. If Felicia started to get along with Allen, she would probably spend a little time with her. Especially since she was not going to the academy, she would not see Felicia for a long time.

Felicia's body curled into a tight ball. She hugged her legs tightly against her chest, seeking comfort from herself. As she rested her head on her knees, her mind began to wander, replaying the events that had transpired three years ago. The image of the large, gaping wound on Allen's abdomen flashed before her eyes, reminding her of the immense danger he had faced to save her not once but twice. The memories of their harrowing escapades in the dungeon and the treacherous battles in the castle overwhelmed her, filling her with a profound sense of guilt. A heavy sigh escaped her lips, accompanied by a sorrowful admission that echoed in the silence of the room.

"Does he really feel guilty? Is it possible that he ran away because he couldn't stand my attitude?" she whispered, her voice weighed down with regret. "I've burdened him too much. I forced him to protect this weak, helpless version of myself." As she uttered those words, a profound sadness settled deep within her heart, knowing that her actions had brought harm not only to herself but also to Allen, who had risked his life for her.

Surprisingly, it was the first time Rachel felt happy when Felicia was sad, because that sadness meant that she already considered Allen more special.

Besides, 'Since the lady woke up, she hasn't mentioned anything about Mr. Waldo. Perhaps Allen's distant behavior is a good thing for her.'