Chapter 388: The Princess in Fairy Tales_1

Chapter 388: Chapter 388: The Princess in Fairy Tales_1

"Is that about yourself you’re talking about?" Asenna asked bluntly.

"I guess so," Sera admitted in a low voice.

"The warden mentioned you got yourself mixed up with some power outside, from what you just said, that ’him’ of yours, he’s part of that power, right?"

"Yes," Sera nodded.

"There are really such fools like you in this world," Asenna commented.

Sera didn’t know how to retort for a moment and, after struggling, only managed to say, "Is it necessary to be so venomous?"

"In those cheesy love stories, there often appears a character," Asenna suddenly brought up a seemingly unrelated topic, "someone who likes another person, gives everything in silence from behind, even knowing that the other party has no interest whatsoever, still delights in the sacrifice. What do you think about this kind of character?"

"Giving everything for love, that’s not so bad... just a bit pitiful," Sera spoke the truth.

"Isn’t being pitiful self-inflicted? Like a dog trying to please its master, endlessly circling them, licking their hand to gain favor, silently offering up oneself, yet in the end, still left with nothing," Asenna gave her opinion, "another way of putting it would be a ’lickspittle.’"

"There’s no need to go that far. Some people really don’t expect any reciprocation, just hoping that the other person has a better life, even just seeing the other person happy can make them feel content," Sera felt the other’s appraisal was unfair.

"Then what about this kind of character? The one who crazily desires to possess the other, regardless of whether the other party is willing. They remove all rivals by any means necessary, and in more extreme cases, even imprison the other person," Asenna threw out another question, "You must have seen this type in stories as well."

"That’s a bit twisted, possession isn’t everything in a relationship," Sera responded, "However... I can slightly understand it."

"Then what do you think real love should be like? Should it be selflessly dedicating oneself for the other, or wanting to possess the other?" Asenna followed up.

"That... the former, I guess?" Sera replied hesitantly.

"Zealots and terrorists can also sacrifice themselves for their beliefs; would you call that love?" Asenna immediately challenged.

"That’s completely different!" Sera raised her voice.

"Your hesitancy just now suggests that you must realize that both situations aren’t really ideal," Asenna followed with a sudden remark.

Sera couldn’t help but be taken aback.

"Because neither type of love is complete," Asenna stated.

Sera, upon hearing this, suddenly began to understand, "Because both are one-sided?"

"Love that doesn’t receive a response can’t constitute complete love. After all, love is a matter between two people," Asenna spoke calmly, "If the feelings are eventually reciprocated, both these roles might have the chance to become the main character. Without reciprocation, the former can only be a pitiful supporting role, while the latter turns into a villain for the protagonist to defeat... in other words, they are just stepping stones for the main character, do you understand what a stepping stone is?"

Sera finally understood what this roundabout topic was all about—Asenna was saying her feelings were one-sided.

"I understand that too," Sera said, looking down.

"Do you really understand? That man has chosen to stand against you, and yet you still hold onto feelings for him?" Asenna’s voice took on a slightly sarcastic tone.

"He’s just, just..." Sera instinctively tried to defend him with a few words.

"You still defend that man? Has a zombie really eaten your brains?" Asenna shook her head.

"But his position, the fact that he had no choice, is also true," Sera said softly.

"So you think he still loves you?" Asenna asked in an even tone.

"I do believe that, at least," Sera replied without much hesitation this time.

"Is he really that powerless?" Asenna asked.

"I know you think I’m deceiving myself. But things... are more complicated than you imagine," Sera was already trying to avoid the topic.

The choices Heinz made caused her pain, but thinking rationally, what would it matter if Heinz gave up everything to be with her?

If they eloped to another kingdom, abandoning his family’s honor to live in obscurity in a corner of the continent, would the new king really let them go? Impossible. If you add Heinz’s betrayal to it, the new king would be even less likely to tolerate them.

Choosing her, there simply was no future.

Reality isn’t a story, where the difficulties faced by the male and female leads are overcome by some nebulous love and determination to be together; nor is everyone willing to die for love like in the stories.

With Heinz’s rationality, he would never do something so foolish.

But Asenna gave an unexpected reply, "No, what I want to say is, if his actions are excusable, doesn’t that mean the problem lies with you?"

"What!?" Sera widened her eyes in shock.

The problem lies with her? What does that mean? No matter how you looked at it, she was the most innocent person involved. Caught up in the kingdom’s political strife for no reason other than her bloodline, sentenced to death by the king without any crime, her beloved forced to take up the butcher’s knife in pursuit of her. In order to survive, she had to turn herself into a criminal and scrape a living in prison, where she remained anxious and uneasy.

To have the Necromancer shamelessly say the problem lay with the victim!?

"What I’m talking about isn’t the issue of you being hunted down, but your attitude towards your own feelings," Asenna closed the book she had been idly flipping through and put it back on the shelf.

"My attitude?" Sera was still confused.

"You, little girl, are not suited for those tacky love stories we were discussing earlier," Asenna said as she walked towards another bookshelf, took a book down, and returned to forcefully hand it to Sera, "This is what’s really best for you."

Sera glanced at the book in her hand and was somewhat dumbfounded: "A Collection of Princess Fairy Tales?"

How could this prison even have such a book!?

Seeing her confusion, Asenna provided an answer: "Unfortunately, quite a few prisoners here are lacking a childhood, so fairy tale books have a rather high borrowing rate."

"I’m not—"

"You may not lack a childhood, but this book does suit you. Hiding in a wizard’s high tower, awaiting a prince to rescue you—your highness, you’re so much like those princesses. The only difference is that those princesses’ princes truly wish to save them. Yours, on the other hand, wants to climb the tower to kill you. But there’s one big thing you have in common: neither of you plans to do anything." After speaking, Asenna took the book and returned to the librarian’s desk.

Sera stood there, stunned, watching as Asenna walked away. She could tell that Asenna was mocking her, just not understanding why. Facing the silent back of the necromancer, she ultimately didn’t have the courage to ask.