The Duke was displeased with my statement that the commoner would remain in our estate for some more time. He probably decided that I had deliberately set this all up to keep her here.
Although I saw no sense in it.
Who would deliberately break an arm? It's damn painful!
Unfortunately, in my past life, I had similar experience. Slipping at an ice rink, I only slightly sprained my arm, but remembered those terrible sensations for the rest of my life.
Let alone the commoner? Her injury was much more serious than mine. She had just recently recovered from poisoning, only to immediately receive a new injury. What an unenviable fate.
I sincerely admired the fortitude with which she endured all these hardships without even showing that she was in pain. The commoner's endurance was much stronger than mine.
I returned after talking with the Duke in a somewhat depressed mood. Deciding that the commoner's injury was another of my tricks, the man severely scolded me. He even intended to immediately throw the girl out of our mansion, and I barely managed to persuade him to change his mind.
But, of course, Victor's patience was running out. Next time, my trick with tears and unobtrusive memories of my mother might not work, and then I truly wouldn't know what to do. I could only hope that by then, the commoner would have recovered enough to be able to leave on her own.
I sighed. Alright... Since I started this myself, I'd have to deal with the consequences.
I entered the room and tried to act as usual. But the commoner still noticed the slightest change in my mood and asked:
"Did something happen?"
I tiredly collapsed onto the bed.
"Nothing special."
But the commoner didn't believe me. Suddenly, she appeared right in front of me.
"What? When did she get here?"
While I blinked absently, I still had to answer her.
"My father... He... Ahem. Scolded me a bit."
"What?"
The commoner's face instantly changed. An expression I hadn't seen before appeared in her eyes. For some reason, this look made me nervous. But just as I was about to say something, she anticipated me.
"Is it because I'm still here?" the commoner asked quietly.
"No, that's not it!" I quickly sat up on the bed.
I didn't want her to feel guilty in this situation. So I hastened to assure her:
"I wouldn't say it's all that serious. It's just better for us to stay out of his sight for a while..."
"..."
Her silence was even more disturbing than words.
"I understand."
The girl sighed and sat down next to me.
"Have you ever thought about killing them?"
This phrase was dropped so casually that I nearly choked on air.
" 'Kill'? What do you mean?"
"If there are people you don't like, you can simply get rid of them," she noted reasonably.
"What are you talking about? I've never thought about such a thing...!"
"Why?"
"What do you mean, 'why'?"
I stared blankly at her.
"Well, not to mention it's morally wrong, I still don't want to go to prison..."
"Prison?" she frowned, "Who would dare to put you there?"
I smiled ruefully.
Despite the fact that I had ended up in a bloody novel where crimes and murders occurred frequently, there were still laws here. And there was also a separate prison for aristocrats. Although the conditions there were slightly better than in an ordinary prison, I still didn't want to end up there.
Who in their right mind would want to go to prison?
Especially since I'm just an insignificant nobleman's daughter. I have no influential connections, and I'm unlikely to be able to buy my way out of a sentence with money. Therefore, even considering the situation hypothetically, prison is an extremely disastrous place for such a small person as me.
After all, I'm not the main villainess of the novel. Only Kaena de Ronan could kill people left and right, and people would still thank her for sparing their lives. No one in their right mind would dare to press charges against her on any count.
At least, that's how it was until recently. But now divine justice had caught up with her too. No one's sins go unpunished. And as for me? If possible, I didn't want to stain my hands with someone else's blood.
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However, explaining all this would take too long, so I simply answered like this:
"Well... After all, they are my relatives. Quarrels happen in every family from time to time. But that doesn't mean everything should be solved with violence."
"So you don't want them dead?" the commoner summarized.
"Something like that."
Actually, I didn't care. I didn't consider these people I happened to be under the same roof with as my family. And at the same time, my dislike wasn't strong enough for me to wish any of them dead.
Rather, it would be enough for me to simply rid myself of their presence.
"Okay," the commoner nodded, "I understand you."
"What?"
She smiled.
"As long as you're with me, you won't have to worry about ever going to prison."
Usually, the Crown Princess was always good at keeping her true emotions under control.
For her, it was the only way to survive and not go crazy in the atmosphere where she grew up.
But now Kaena found that the emotions she had previously managed to suppress so well were beginning to spiral out of control. And all because of just one fact.
"Someone dared to offend this woman?"
When her mother died and she decided to embark on the path to becoming the next empress, young Kaena made a decision. She gave herself her word that she would never allow any weaknesses to take hold of her. For her, there was only the path to the goal and nothing else.
And yet, the feelings that overtook her now were exactly what she had previously so diligently denied.
But she couldn't stop herself from continuing to follow them.
"I consider you a good person. And you should never doubt that."
"Are you feeling alright? You should take a hot bath and eat some warm soup."
"I like your smiling face. So smile more often!"
Since her mother died, no one had treated the Crown Princess like this. At first, it bewildered her and even put her on guard. But then... Kaena suddenly realized that she could no longer imagine herself without it.
In such a short time, her being had undergone drastic changes.
When she was near this woman, she was filled with a feeling of happiness. But as soon as she went somewhere, she felt such a sense of emptiness that it was unbearable to endure. Even now, when Camilla had merely fallen asleep, the princess felt lonely.
The moonlight streaming through the large windows entered the room, outlining the contours of her face. Although the duke's youngest daughter's appearance couldn't be called extraordinary, in Kaena's eyes she was the most beautiful creature in the world.
She involuntarily lingered her gaze on the girl's face. Soon, Camilla's lips, which were as red as pomegranate seeds, moved slightly, muttering something in her sleep. The princess involuntarily smiled at this sight. She reached out her hand to brush away a stray wheat-colored strand.
Despite the fact that Kaena understood this was poison for her, this poison was too sweet for her to resist. She realized this the moment she lost control of herself for the first time in a long time.
In the end, when the princess came to her senses, her right hand was already broken. In reality, this was only a temporary measure to prolong her stay here.
Having said nothing all this time, Kaena quietly uttered:
"I'd just like to kill them..."
Kaena categorically disliked this woman's relatives. And if the opportunity arose, she would have gotten rid of them long ago. However, the matter was complicated by the fact that she still had to hide her existence. And the death of a duke in his own home would undoubtedly cause considerable commotion. But most importantly...
"...Quarrels happen in every family from time to time. But that doesn't mean everything should be solved with violence."
Apparently, despite their disgusting treatment of her, this woman still cared about her father and brother. Kaena didn't understand this. In her eyes, Camilla was always soft and caring to the point of sometimes seeming a bit clumsy. Obviously, some unscrupulous people could abuse her kindness. The princess clenched her fists.
"These wretches. Even if she worries about them, I still must..."
Kaena de Ronan didn't have time to finish her thought when she suddenly felt the presence of someone else. The princess's gaze shifted to the window, and her body disappeared in an instant.
"Aaah!"
"Who are you?"
The uninvited guest, instantly grabbed by the throat, tried to resist, but the Crown Princess didn't even flinch. The deadly aura surrounding her intensified even more.
"I asked, who are you?"
"I... Khak"
When Kaena squeezed her hand a little tighter, the man thrashed even more violently, but still managed to squeeze out an answer.
"Your Highness, it's me...!"
When the dark hood fell from his head and Kaena could make out his facial features, she involuntarily frowned.
"Jacob?"
And then Kaena released the man's neck. After that, he collapsed to the floor like a limp doll.
"Khe, khe!" despite having just been nearly strangled, this man's eyes shone with happiness, "Your Highness, I'm so glad you're alive!.."
In the darkness, one could make out the figure of a tall man with disheveled black hair.
The princess, who was drilling the desperately coughing man before her with her gaze, said coldly:
"How did you know you could find me here?"
The knight of the Dark Army caught his breath and, embarrassed, replied:
"Your Highness, but you sent us a message..."
"Oh, right..."
Kaena frowned, having completely forgotten about it. On the first day of her stay at the de Walte residence, the princess had given her people a secret signal. Using dark magic, she created a raven that was no different from ordinary birds but, nevertheless, had a specific timbre of voice, and with this signal, Kaena sometimes transmitted messages to her people.
If the raven cawed once, it meant the princess was in mortal danger. If twice, it was a notification of an urgent gathering of the Dark Army. If three times, a call for immediate attack, and so on.
The raven Kaena sent cawed four times. This was done so that her subordinates could track her location, but do nothing without her further instructions. After that, the princess gave no further signals to her people. And so now she frowned.
"So? What business do you have with me?"
The man stared at her.
"Your Highness, what do you mean?" he asked again, "We waited so long for you to finally contact us! When you didn't respond for so long, we thought something might have happened to you, and then I..."
"Get to the point," the princess demanded.
"It's..." the knight faltered, "We received a report on recent actions taken by the
Empress. Apparently, a coronation is to be held at the palace soon..."
The corners of Kaena's lips curved into a crooked smile.
"Yes. As expected, stepmother is terribly impatient."
Not even a month had passed since the "demise" of the previous Crown Princess, and the coronation of a new one was soon to take place. Come to think of it, this situation was no different from the previous one, which occurred twelve years ago.
Then the knight spoke again.
"I heard the coronation is being rushed as quickly as possible, on the advice of the First Minister and some other officials."
Kaena said nothing in response, instead continuing to stare intently at him.
"Your Highness, the situation requires no delay. You need to return as soon as possible..." the subordinate's voice gradually faded.
Under normal conditions, the princess would have left this place immediately... However, she didn't make a single move, remaining standing in place.
As the silence in the room dragged on for too long, the commander of the Dark Army's third division looked bewildered. Knowing that his mistress had been walking towards the throne for twelve long years, he was surprised that, being one step from victory, she could experience any hesitation.
"Your Highness?"
When the puzzled voice sounded, Kaena furrowed her brows.
"Quiet."
"What?"
"You'll wake her."