Chapter: 04

Selena left soon afterward. With the nuisance gone, it worked out well for me. I returned to my room, once again ran my fingers over the mirror, and organized the information I had uncovered.

Before long, a foreign guest would arrive here.

Henrik, the second prince of Bwendovska. They said that the blood of dragons flowed through the royal family there.

“Then again, my mother is a witch…”

So even a legendary creature like a dragon did not seem particularly extraordinary to me.

Henrik was rumored to be the first northern prince to venture into the center of this continent.

As far as I knew, he was in a succession struggle with the first prince, Resicha.

Henrik had been sent to the battlefield for some political reason, but he had continued to achieve victory after victory, eventually earning the nickname “Black Dragon of the Battlefield.”

Without a doubt, he wanted a war of conquest—and even greater fame. Otherwise, there would have been no reason for someone of his status as a prince to return to the battlefield.

“That proves he’s an ambitious and warlike man. If I want someone like that at my side, I’ll have to pay an appropriate price as well.”

Normally, if I used magic for too long, my chest would ache as though I were suffocating. That made it difficult to read any more information, but it did not matter.

Reading the future through magic was not an all-purpose solution. It was merely one means at my disposal. I had many ways to obtain information.

Although I was imprisoned in this tiny room, I was merely a powerless princess, so the surveillance around me was not particularly thorough.

That was why I would periodically sneak out of my room and read newspapers and magazines that had been thrown into the trash.

Even if someone discovered me in this state and another rumor spread about me rummaging through trash cans, there was nothing more for me to lose anyway.

The information I obtained there was the reason Henrik was coming here.

Apparently, it was to establish a peace treaty between this country, Francia, and the northern kingdom of Bwendovska.

I knew the sentence I had read in the crumpled, dirt-stained newspaper was a lie.

Because the future the mirror had shown me was nothing like that.

The future I had envisioned was one in which I took revenge on those who had abandoned me, and the mirror’s role was to show me how.

There was no way that the future in which this country peacefully interacted with the North had anything to do with that prince.

One method a high-ranking foreign man might propose in the name of peace was a marriage agreement.

“The other two princesses are already married, so the king will want to get rid of troublesome me.”

The king would probably sell me off as the second wife of some noble family and send the second daughter of a prestigious family or someone similar to that prince.

But what if that prince used his military power, which had reached the center of the continent, and peace with the North as justification to demand another woman—namely, ‘me’?

I knew the king’s temperament well. What mattered most to him was maintaining his authority. He would want to avoid any sudden conflict with another country during this period of peace.

I intended to make use of that.

“I have to persuade him to take me to the North.”

I would make sure to carry out my revenge, returning all the resentment I had suffered to them in equal measure.

“First, I have to get out of here. Otherwise, I won’t be able to do anything.”

They had tried to break me with humiliation and shame, contempt and neglect, and beatings that they would not even inflict on a servant. At times, they had whispered sweet and gentle words, trying to destroy even my reason and emotions.

“That will never happen.”

I stroked the mirror and steeled my resolve. My priority for revenge was clear.

After persuading him to do as I wished,

“I suppose the first thing I need to do is put him on the throne.”

To accomplish that, I first had to earn his trust. Whether by selling him the information I knew about this country or helping him through my magic.

“He needs to possess great power for him to be of any use to me. It will take some time to wage a war and bring this kingdom to ruin, but…”

Simply punishing them would not satisfy my anger at all. I would make them lose everything just as I had. Their homeland, their power, their peace—everything.

“…I can endure it until then.”

After drawing the bigger picture, I felt as though my goals and plans had become much clearer. I could carefully adjust the details as I learned more about him and the northern kingdom.

For now, when Henrik arrived here, I would somehow meet him in person, speak with him, and take the first step.

We did not know each other well to begin with, so I had no idea what variables might arise. To ensure that things went smoothly, I devised several different plans.

A chilly wind blew through the gaps of the poorly maintained window.

“Phew…”

I let out a long sigh in the room where even the fireplace could not be properly lit. The cold autumn wind naturally made my breath appear as a white mist.

Outside the window, brilliant lights filled the night, and elegant music was playing.

Although I was confined here, I could tell what was going on.

Tonight, a grand banquet was being held to welcome a guest from a foreign country.

Bwendovska was not a country with which Francia frequently interacted, given the distance between them. So, from the perspective of those responsible for entertaining the prince of that country, they would have their hands full.

Except for me.

It did not matter. Honestly, the days I had spent attending social gatherings as a princess or a duchess felt like nothing more than a futile dream.

“What matters is meeting him, Atilenta.”

I repeated my firm resolve to myself, a habit I had developed during my imprisonment.

I also needed to be careful not to make a mistake in front of the prince of Bwendovska.

The night gradually deepened. Following the route I had used to secretly escape the palace countless times, I headed toward the detached residence where the foreign guest was staying.

Thanks to my experience and abilities in escaping, it was not difficult. At times like this, even my extremely thin body helped, since I did not attract much attention.

There were knights clad in black armor and armed with weapons standing in front of the detached residence.

There he is.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward. A sword would come flying at me next.

“Who are you?”

“Step back.”

Despite the unfamiliar foreign language, I did not retreat. Instead, I bowed deeply to the ground and pleaded.

“I wish to meet the prince.”

To anyone looking at me, I appeared to be a weak and frail woman. Even though I had come here in the middle of the night, they would not immediately strike my head from my shoulders.

While the knights hesitated, I whispered again.

“I have absolutely no hostile intentions. Please let me in.”

I used their native language to show that I deeply respected them.

At that moment, a low voice came from inside.

“Who has arrived?”

His voice was as cold as the autumn wind and as low as the darkness settling over the night.

A chill ran down my back.

“Your Highness. A girl has arrived.”

Realizing instinctively that he was the second prince of Bwendovska, I lightly bit my lip to calm my nerves.

“Prince, I am not a child.”

“We can’t turn away a guest who comes at night.”

As though those words were some kind of signal, the knights grabbed me, helped me to my feet, and led me inside the detached residence.

The interior was luxurious and splendid, befitting a distinguished guest. There was a chandelier, colorful carpets, a solid wooden dining table, and an expensive sofa.

There was only one person sitting on the sofa.

“I have no weapons.”

I did not particularly care when an unfamiliar knight searched my body. There was only one thing that mattered to me right now.

“Why did you come?”

I briefly examined Henrik. He was a man with hair as black as a moonless dawn and eyes I had never seen before, almost like amethysts.

Unlike the knights around him, he was not wearing armor, but his cold appearance and sturdy build stood out remarkably.

Leaning deeply into the sofa, he possessed an ease that a shabby princess like me could never dare imitate.

“Watch your words and conduct.”

Even without the knight’s warning, I had intended to do so. Anyone could see that he and I were not on equal footing.

That did not mean I needed to be intimidated. I had come to propose a deal to him.

“I am Atilenta, a princess of this country.”

My eyes were green, just like those of the king of the Kingdom of Francia. That was a truth that could not be fabricated.

The man who had already experienced the banquet in Francia would surely know that as well.

Henrik gave a small nod, as though granting me permission. I sat opposite him. He raised one large hand and casually rested his chin upon it. Even that simple gesture carried the elegance he had cultivated over many years.

“You’re far too thin, and your eyes are those of the royal family. You wouldn’t make a suitable assassin.”

With his smooth pronunciation and low voice, Henrik assessed me as though I were some clumsy new recruit. I ignored it and got straight to the point.

“You are correct. There is only one reason I came here. Since Your Highness only wants a nominal relationship with this country anyway—”

“The princess is mistaken. The banquet your king arranged has already concluded successfully.”

“—I am precisely the woman suitable to be your partner.”

Chapter 04

Selena left soon afterward. With the nuisance gone, it worked out well for me. I returned to my room, once again ran my fingers over the mirror, and organized the information I had uncovered.

Before long, a foreign guest would arrive here.

Henrik, the second prince of Bwendovska. They said that the blood of dragons flowed through the royal family there.

“Then again, my mother is a witch…”

So even a legendary creature like a dragon did not seem particularly extraordinary to me.

Henrik was rumored to be the first northern prince to venture into the center of this continent.

As far as I knew, he was in a succession struggle with the first prince, Resicha.

Henrik had been sent to the battlefield for some political reason, but he had continued to achieve victory after victory, eventually earning the nickname “Black Dragon of the Battlefield.”

Without a doubt, he wanted a war of conquest—and even greater fame. Otherwise, there would have been no reason for someone of his status as a prince to return to the battlefield.

“That proves he’s an ambitious and warlike man. If I want someone like that at my side, I’ll have to pay an appropriate price as well.”

Normally, if I used magic for too long, my chest would ache as though I were suffocating. That made it difficult to read any more information, but it did not matter.

Reading the future through magic was not an all-purpose solution. It was merely one means at my disposal. I had many ways to obtain information.

Although I was imprisoned in this tiny room, I was merely a powerless princess, so the surveillance around me was not particularly thorough.

That was why I would periodically sneak out of my room and read newspapers and magazines that had been thrown into the trash.

Even if someone discovered me in this state and another rumor spread about me rummaging through trash cans, there was nothing more for me to lose anyway.

The information I obtained there was the reason Henrik was coming here.

Apparently, it was to establish a peace treaty between this country, Francia, and the northern kingdom of Bwendovska.

I knew the sentence I had read in the crumpled, dirt-stained newspaper was a lie.

Because the future the mirror had shown me was nothing like that.

The future I had envisioned was one in which I took revenge on those who had abandoned me, and the mirror’s role was to show me how.

There was no way that the future in which this country peacefully interacted with the North had anything to do with that prince.

One method a high-ranking foreign man might propose in the name of peace was a marriage agreement.

“The other two princesses are already married, so the king will want to get rid of troublesome me.”

The king would probably sell me off as the second wife of some noble family and send the second daughter of a prestigious family or someone similar to that prince.

But what if that prince used his military power, which had reached the center of the continent, and peace with the North as justification to demand another woman—namely, ‘me’?

I knew the king’s temperament well. What mattered most to him was maintaining his authority. He would want to avoid any sudden conflict with another country during this period of peace.

I intended to make use of that.

“I have to persuade him to take me to the North.”

I would make sure to carry out my revenge, returning all the resentment I had suffered to them in equal measure.

“First, I have to get out of here. Otherwise, I won’t be able to do anything.”

They had tried to break me with humiliation and shame, contempt and neglect, and beatings that they would not even inflict on a servant. At times, they had whispered sweet and gentle words, trying to destroy even my reason and emotions.

“That will never happen.”

I stroked the mirror and steeled my resolve. My priority for revenge was clear.

After persuading him to do as I wished,

“I suppose the first thing I need to do is put him on the throne.”

To accomplish that, I first had to earn his trust. Whether by selling him the information I knew about this country or helping him through my magic.

“He needs to possess great power for him to be of any use to me. It will take some time to wage a war and bring this kingdom to ruin, but…”

Simply punishing them would not satisfy my anger at all. I would make them lose everything just as I had. Their homeland, their power, their peace—everything.

“…I can endure it until then.”

After drawing the bigger picture, I felt as though my goals and plans had become much clearer. I could carefully adjust the details as I learned more about him and the northern kingdom.

For now, when Henrik arrived here, I would somehow meet him in person, speak with him, and take the first step.

We did not know each other well to begin with, so I had no idea what variables might arise. To ensure that things went smoothly, I devised several different plans.

A chilly wind blew through the gaps of the poorly maintained window.

“Phew…”

I let out a long sigh in the room where even the fireplace could not be properly lit. The cold autumn wind naturally made my breath appear as a white mist.

Outside the window, brilliant lights filled the night, and elegant music was playing.

Although I was confined here, I could tell what was going on.

Tonight, a grand banquet was being held to welcome a guest from a foreign country.

Bwendovska was not a country with which Francia frequently interacted, given the distance between them. So, from the perspective of those responsible for entertaining the prince of that country, they would have their hands full.

Except for me.

It did not matter. Honestly, the days I had spent attending social gatherings as a princess or a duchess felt like nothing more than a futile dream.

“What matters is meeting him, Atilenta.”

I repeated my firm resolve to myself, a habit I had developed during my imprisonment.

I also needed to be careful not to make a mistake in front of the prince of Bwendovska.

The night gradually deepened. Following the route I had used to secretly escape the palace countless times, I headed toward the detached residence where the foreign guest was staying.

Thanks to my experience and abilities in escaping, it was not difficult. At times like this, even my extremely thin body helped, since I did not attract much attention.

There were knights clad in black armor and armed with weapons standing in front of the detached residence.

There he is.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward. A sword would come flying at me next.

“Who are you?”

“Step back.”

Despite the unfamiliar foreign language, I did not retreat. Instead, I bowed deeply to the ground and pleaded.

“I wish to meet the prince.”

To anyone looking at me, I appeared to be a weak and frail woman. Even though I had come here in the middle of the night, they would not immediately strike my head from my shoulders.

While the knights hesitated, I whispered again.

“I have absolutely no hostile intentions. Please let me in.”

I used their native language to show that I deeply respected them.

At that moment, a low voice came from inside.

“Who has arrived?”

His voice was as cold as the autumn wind and as low as the darkness settling over the night.

A chill ran down my back.

“Your Highness. A girl has arrived.”

Realizing instinctively that he was the second prince of Bwendovska, I lightly bit my lip to calm my nerves.

“Prince, I am not a child.”

“We can’t turn away a guest who comes at night.”

As though those words were some kind of signal, the knights grabbed me, helped me to my feet, and led me inside the detached residence.

The interior was luxurious and splendid, befitting a distinguished guest. There was a chandelier, colorful carpets, a solid wooden dining table, and an expensive sofa.

There was only one person sitting on the sofa.

“I have no weapons.”

I did not particularly care when an unfamiliar knight searched my body. There was only one thing that mattered to me right now.

“Why did you come?”

I briefly examined Henrik. He was a man with hair as black as a moonless dawn and eyes I had never seen before, almost like amethysts.

Unlike the knights around him, he was not wearing armor, but his cold appearance and sturdy build stood out remarkably.

Leaning deeply into the sofa, he possessed an ease that a shabby princess like me could never dare imitate.

“Watch your words and conduct.”

Even without the knight’s warning, I had intended to do so. Anyone could see that he and I were not on equal footing.

That did not mean I needed to be intimidated. I had come to propose a deal to him.

“I am Atilenta, a princess of this country.”

My eyes were green, just like those of the king of the Kingdom of Francia. That was a truth that could not be fabricated.

The man who had already experienced the banquet in Francia would surely know that as well.

Henrik gave a small nod, as though granting me permission. I sat opposite him. He raised one large hand and casually rested his chin upon it. Even that simple gesture carried the elegance he had cultivated over many years.

“You’re far too thin, and your eyes are those of the royal family. You wouldn’t make a suitable assassin.”

With his smooth pronunciation and low voice, Henrik assessed me as though I were some clumsy new recruit. I ignored it and got straight to the point.

“You are correct. There is only one reason I came here. Since Your Highness only wants a nominal relationship with this country anyway—”

“The princess is mistaken. The banquet your king arranged has already concluded successfully.”

“—I am precisely the woman suitable to be your partner.”