Our Summer Is Not Over - vanish into fiction

“And though it hasn’t been made public yet, there is still one member of the royal family who hasn’t been caught.”

At Dylan’s words, Mia’s brow twitched ever so slightly.

All their previous conversation had already long since faded from her mind. She curled her fingers, trying to steady her emotions, and thought about who it could be.

The Crown Prince? If he hadn’t been caught, it would have already made headlines.

Since Dylan was telling her, it must be someone related to her, and among the royal family, there were only a handful who knew about the ‘stand-in for Cydemia’.

At most, four.

Among them, the king and queen were dead. The real princess as well.

Just trying to recall her time in Murad made Mia’s head ache. Giving up on her thoughts, she asked quietly,

“Wasn’t it said that Princess Cydemia is already dead? Has she come back to life?”

Dylan shook his head.

“How could someone who died of illness over three years ago possibly come back?”

He was right.

After Mia had come to Hipoli, she had to remain quiet so as not to reveal her identity, and it was said that Cydemia had died of illness not long after the war began.

It was something the Hipoli Royal Family had confirmed themselves, so it couldn’t have been false information.

Dylan’s mention of an uncaptured royal was merely to share information with a fellow comrade. It was nothing to be concerned about.

With a bit of relief, Mia’s tense expression softened. Regaining her composure, she asked Dylan,

“Then who is it that hasn’t been caught?”

After a short silence, he spoke.

“The one who hasn’t been arrested is the fourth prince, Jose Jan Murad.”

At his smooth answer, Mia involuntarily caught her breath.

Her entire body tensed up more than ever before. Her hand clenched tightly. She even forgot that she needed to control her expression and hide her thoughts.

It was only natural.

Jose Jan Murad… was the last surviving Murad royal who knew that ‘Mia was Cydemia’s stand-in’.

But it wasn’t just that that stirred her emotions. What Mia truly feared was the memory of all the things Jose had done to possess her.

He had broken Mia’s spirit, and, instead of the king and queen, had inflicted violence on her.

For Mia, the thought of Jose wandering free somewhere was far more terrifying than the idea of the real Cydemia returning.

Her body trembled uncontrollably. Trying desperately to calm herself, Mia held her breath and forced herself to her limits. It was a bad habit she fell into whenever she couldn’t think clearly.

A ringing sound pierced her ears, but she still held her breath. Then, all at once, she felt a warm touch on her tightly clenched hand. A fresh scent tickled her nose, and then, right after, a steady, unwavering voice sounded.

“Mia, you need to breathe.”

At those words, Mia finally released the breath she’d been holding.

Like a child first learning to swim, or someone just realizing they couldn’t breathe underwater.

With Dylan gently patting her back, Mia gradually got her breathing under control. By the time she could think calmly again, she realized whose presence she’d just lost composure in front of.

She had no idea how to explain or justify her unusual behavior to him. She’d revealed to him that Jose knew her true identity, but she could never tell him the full extent of what had happened, or the cruelty and brutality of the abuse she had suffered.

How much further was she supposed to expose the lowest depths of herself here?

The rational mind that always analyzed, and the mouth that calmly explained. Both had long since stopped functioning.

In the sitting room, only Mia’s labored breaths echoed. Cutting through that, a dry and expressionless voice came.

“It’s unlikely the fourth prince will go around revealing your identity.”

The feeling of having sunk to the very bottom, or even deeper, finally began to lift.

“Even if he does talk, he has no proof, and there’s nothing you would be held responsible for.”