"Still harboring resentment towards me? What happened before was entirely your own fault. Investigating a king with spiritual vision meant you should have been prepared for the consequences from the start." Phoenix observed Princess Alice before her, clearly detecting the trace of lingering resentment, though carefully concealed.
"I wouldn't dare!"
At Phoenix's words, Princess Alice immediately adopted a posture of innocent vulnerability.
"If your apology was sincere, then using a counterfeit to greet me instead of your true self shows how little you value me, doesn't it?"
"..."
"This is... an Ether Body. The Princess Alice before you is merely her Ether Body."
Hearing Phoenix's blunt assessment, Liliana - standing behind her with her witch bloodline - immediately recognized the technique Princess Alice had employed.
For witches, the highest form of witchcraft is the 'Transmigration of the Ether Realm Technique'. By projecting one's consciousness into the Ether Realm, which serves as the source of witches' spiritual vision, mastering this art naturally enhances a witch's power exponentially.
The 'Transcendence of Yōsei' was the highest-level magic even Liliana couldn't master. Princess Alice's ability to create an 'Ether Body' surpassed this - she could effortlessly travel between the Material World and Yōsei without needing much mana.
"Using an Ether Body to welcome the King? Princess Alice, you're being too disrespectful!"
In the face of the King's arrival, Alice had only presented herself through an Ether Body. This showed complete disregard for the King's authority!
Behind them, Erica and Liliana felt indignant. As Phoenix's Knights, any insult to their lord was an insult to them - and to the Copper-Black Cross and Bronze Black Cross.
"Let's go! Alice's true body is upstairs."
With that, Phoenix glanced at Princess Alice before leading the three companions upstairs.
"Where are you going, Your Majesty?"
Watching Phoenix's group depart, Alice's expression shifted. She hurried after them, lifting her skirt.
"A false body has no right to speak to me!"
Phoenix led her two Knights and the fox-eared girl away without looking back, heading directly toward the location she sensed. She could clearly feel where Princess Alice's true body lay.
Watching Phoenix lead three young girls upstairs without a backward glance, Princess Alice gritted her teeth in frustration.
She's a Campione. Any attempt at physical interference would only end in my defeat.
Unwilling to let matters escalate further, Princess Alice reluctantly dissolved the spiritual projection she'd created, her consciousness returning to her true body.
-
Though the castle boasted numerous chambers, Phoenix reached Princess Alice's quarters with surprising speed.
Faced with the tightly shut door, Phoenix withdrew her hand from her sleeve and gave a gentle wave. The barrier parted immediately.
A faint, delicate fragrance greeted her as the door swung open. Beyond lay a lavishly furnished chamber - opulent furnishings adorned with costly ornaments scattered throughout. At the foot of a bed large enough for five or six, a small sandalwood censer stood emitting fragrant steam.
In this bedroom that resembled a royal palace's private quarters, the most striking feature was the princess bed draped in gauzy curtains. A graceful silhouette emerged from behind the fabric, reclining like a Sleeping Beauty awaiting her prince's kiss.
Witnessing this scene, Phoenix unconsciously... slowed her pace. After all, Princess Alice was currently a patient.
When dealing with a frail patient, Phoenix refrained from displaying excessive dominance. Her previous irritation had been directed solely at the princess's "Ether Body."
As the four companions entered the room, they had barely taken a few steps when Princess Alice slowly opened her eyes. Her complexion appeared even more pallid than her Ether Body, cheeks sunken and gaunt. A body that had remained inactive for years struggled to muster the strength to sit up in greeting.
"Don't bother getting up. Stay where you are," Phoenix waved dismissively, her tone indifferent as she observed Princess Alice's movements.
The White Princess wasn't a knight or a mage, but a frail miko. Constant use of her Ether Body drained her spiritual energy, leaving Princess Alice's already delicate body even more weakened.
Her true body could only lie in bed each day, tended to by maidservants.
This constant bedridden state left the bored Princess Alice frequently controlling her Ether Body to roam the world, further exacerbating her physical frailty - a vicious cycle of decline.
"Yes..."
Princess Alice's small hand clutched the quilt, her breathing slightly labored as if even this simple movement strained her.
Without hesitation, Phoenix moved forward to support Princess Alice's body, propping her against a soft cushion at the headboard for comfort.
"Thank you. I'd almost expected Campione to be rude and uncaring," Princess Alice murmured, her tone carrying both mockery and praise.
"I... am different from them!" Phoenix stated, offering no further explanation.
"My body is too weak to rise and greet you properly. I beg your forgiveness, New King."
"This is self-inflicted suffering," Phoenix said bluntly. "You can't blame others."
The prolonged use of her Ether Body had always been taxing on Princess Alice's frail health. This reckless behavior only weakened her further.
During their last confrontation, when Phoenix had drawn her Fenghuang Down, Princess Alice had attempted to use her "spirit vision" to peer into Phoenix's defenses. The protective backlash from the Fenghuang Down had struck Alice directly, exacerbating her already precarious condition.
"Now, Princess Alice," Phoenix continued with clinical detachment, "your remaining days are numbered. While your youthful body still functions, maintaining life's fragile balance, within a few more years, your vitality will wither. A flower at its peak beauty, destined to fade."
Princess Alice remained unmoved, her pale hands lifting to tuck platinum strands behind her ears. "I am well aware of my body's limitations," she replied, her voice steady. "I need no reminder from you."