My father died, and my former life was destroyed.
To summarize, that was the outcome of my life in this world a year after my rebirth.
And so far, things were not going well.
After the bloody massacre at the Duke's residence, without even allowing me to pack my belongings, I was put into the Crown Princess's carriage. The woman declared that new things had already been prepared for me at the destination, and there was no need to take this "junk" with me.
Actually, I wasn't in a position to argue.
And now we had been on the road to the main villainess's residence for over half a day.
With every gust of wind, dead leaves fluttered in the air like moths. The cold northeastern wind of these lands was different from the southern one I was used to. Against the backdrop of the deep blue sky, migratory birds flew by, and at that moment I could even envy their freedom.
I sat in the carriage and watched the lands of Heilos draw closer and closer. If I counted, I hadn't slept for over twenty-four hours.
Maybe it was the stress I had experienced, but I just couldn't calm down. There was no sleep in my eyes. The mere thought that I would soon arrive at my new "home" sent shivers down to my very bones.
Because, no matter how you looked at it, this was a real kidnapping.
"I wonder what this place is like?" — I thought about my fate, and my thoughts led me in God knows what direction — a couple of hours ago I was trembling and scared to death, but now a weak flame of hope had lit somewhere in the corner of my heart, "Maybe I could somehow pretend to be a servant and escape?"
While I was indulging in illusory hopes of escape, a voice from the opposite side of the carriage nearly stopped my heart.
"When you arrive at my castle, your life will change," the main villainess told me with a soft expression on her face, which greatly alarmed me.
"Yes, I'm sure it will definitely change..."
"You also won't have to worry about safety. My lands are the most protected in the empire. A total of sixteen checkpoints, twenty-seven watchtowers, and hundreds of garrison guards who patrol the territory around the clock."
"....."
"Well, that's what I thought."
My hopes of escape crumbled right before my eyes, like a sandcastle.
Traveling in the carriage with the main villainess was like torture: I couldn't relax for a second. I kept my mouth tightly shut, like a clam, trying with all my might not to remind her of my presence here. But it was pointless. Because this woman with beautiful but frightening golden eyes barely took her eyes off me.
Honestly, I still couldn't understand what she wanted from me.
"Maybe she wants to kill me in some elaborate way?"
Besides the worst possible scenario, no other assumptions came to mind. After all, I was well aware of this person's nature.
"A cold-blooded, merciless psychopath."
That's exactly how Kaena de Ronan was described in the novel. And honestly, after the spectacle I had recently witnessed firsthand, I had no doubt that it was all true.
Not only did she kill people without hesitation, but she also had sadistic tendencies. I had read a lot of horror about the "dark" side of the main villainess while reading the novel. A person who knew even a little about her would rather kill themselves than submit to her torture.
And I was being taken straight to this monster's lair...
It couldn't get any worse.
When I remembered all the indecent things I had done towards her during the time we were at the Duke's estate, my whole body broke out in a cold sweat. This terrible woman could kill a person just because she didn't like the way they looked at her. Compared to that, what I had done practically guaranteed me an eternal boiling in a hellish cauldron...
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In short, I didn't have long to live.
I took a deep breath, overwhelmed by a feeling of despondency and hopelessness.
"She'll probably be happy as long as she has the opportunity to torment me, until I die..."
At that moment, the villainess's voice, which was both pleasant and terrifying, reached me again: "Camilla."
"Y-yes?"
"You said you are my fan," Kaena uttered, leaning her back against the velvet seat, "I want to know why. What do you like about me?"
"....."
My tongue suddenly became hot and started to falter.
This one question was more difficult than all the state exams I had to take in my past life.
Meanwhile, I couldn't afford to slip up with my answer.
My head began to ache as the gears in it spun very fast, while the princess looked at me expectantly. Finally, I slowly parted my lips:
"It's... It's all because of your outstanding talent! I heard that you became a sword master at fourteen, and that was a new record for the empire... And also... You brought our empire so many military victories..." as I praised the villainess, based on information I had obtained from the novel, her pupils grew wider and wider.
Although every word I said was true, there was actually nothing to be proud of here. It would be one thing if this woman used her skills for the benefit of the empire and thus brought good. But in reality, the Crown Princess of this country did nothing but destroy it.
She used her innate talent for dark magic and her mastery of the sword, among other things, to kill innocent civilians...
Despite the fact that Kaena to some extent protected the empire from external threats by fighting on the battlefield against enemy states, she actually brought far more harm to her own people. What was the point of protecting the population from enemy invaders if in the end she would still kill them, but with her own hands?
The only reason the Crown Princess went to the front at all, by order of the Emperor, was that she was a war fanatic. More precisely, a murder fanatic. And in war, where her "passion" could be fully realized, the villainess was simply delighted.
In summary, this was definitely not a person one could admire. In the essence of this woman, there was no gradient. She was pure black.
However, I wasn't crazy enough to blurt out my sincere thoughts right in her face.
When Kaena de Ronan listened to me, she looked noticeably surprised.
"You really know a lot about me..." she murmured.
"Of course, I'm your fan and have been interested in you for a long time..." as the brazen lie flowed from my lips like honey, I tried with all my might to keep myself together.
Meanwhile, the villainess, who initially looked stunned, showed a strange reaction. Even with the naked eye, it was noticeable that her face had become redder than before. Then a wide smile appeared on her lips, which she tried to hide by turning her gaze to the window.
Such a reaction on the face of any other person could have been interpreted as embarrassment. But since this was the main villainess of the novel, I only tensed up. Perhaps I was talking too much and thus getting on her nerves...? It was quite possible that now she would want to swat me like an annoying insect.
For a while, I warily watched the villainess and her strange behavior. But, since she still hadn't drawn her sword, and my head was still in place, it seemed things weren't as bad as I thought. Apparently, I had dodged a bullet.
Sighing with some relief, I nevertheless did not let my guard down.
Soon, a landscape appeared ahead. Upon reaching the Crown Princess's lands, I realized that this place was much larger than I had imagined. The majestic Heilos Castle was enormous, more like a military fortress, and yet it had not lost the exquisite exterior characteristic of noble dwellings.
No, compared to them, this castle was much more magnificent and luxurious. Even I, who grew up in a wealthy ducal estate, opened my mouth wide, unable to believe my own eyes.
"Her Highness has returned, open the gate!" shouted the knights, stopping before the huge iron gates.
The guards on the tower, seeing the Crown Princess's carriage, hastened to let us in. Soon we passed through the second gate, where knights of the Dark Army lined up on the left and right, gathered to meet their mistress.
"Welcome back, Your Highness!" they all bowed in unison.
From the window, I saw numerous guard posts, training grounds, massive stone buildings, and so on. Some more time passed before the carriage finally reached the main domain. The carriage drove unhindered into the luxurious and magnificent gardens. When it was time to get out, I anxiously clutched the skirt of my dress.
"Are you alright? You don't have a very good complexion."
When the villainess carefully helped me down, the first thing she worried about was my well-being.
"Oh... I..."
"She must be tired from the long journey," Kaena thought.
"Now we're finally home. You can rest."
She put her arm around my shoulders and smiled. I barely found the strength to nod my head.
In front of the main staircase stood about a hundred people. They had all come out to greet their mistress. On their pale and straight faces, I didn't see a hint of surprise. Apparently, they had all been warned of my arrival. I just sighed heavily.
"Welcome back, Your Highness!"
A huge knight in black armor with disheveled dark hair immediately approached us.
"As soon as we received news of your return, we made all the necessary preparations..."
The knight's eyes turned to me. I subconsciously tensed and hunched my shoulders, as there were simply no normal people in this place. Even now, it was quite likely that I was facing a hardened criminal.
But I had worried for nothing, because the next moment this man hastily averted his gaze and, in a surprisingly polite manner, uttered:
"N-nice to meet you, my lady. My name is Jacob Osman. I am a loyal subordinate of Her Highness..."
The knight respectfully greeted me, bending over double.
"I... I'm pleased to m-meet you..." while I desperately stammered, the main villainess didn't even let me finish my return greeting.
Her hand tightened on my shoulder, and a wide smile blossomed on her face.
"Come on. I'll show you your new room," she said enthusiastically.
"......"
I had no choice but to meekly follow her suggestion. The servants parted to the sides, and we went up the dark marble staircase.