DEDLB | Ch 05

5.

“…Do I really have to do this?”

Hearing those words, Lucy immediately looked like she was about to cry.

“I have no one I can trust but you, Lucy,” Yvonne said.

Lucy, who couldn’t refuse a superior’s command, pouted and made a face.

“Being in the same room as a dying corpse, this is the worst.”

Lucy muttered, sounding displeased, and Ricardo frowned, responding sharply.

“A dying corpse? What nonsense are you spouting? I could handle a kid like you any day!”

Ricardo tried to sit up to prove he was fine, but with a grunt, he collapsed back onto the bench.

Yvonne looked at him, unimpressed, and quickly began applying disinfectant to his wounds.

“Don’t move around or act recklessly. If you keep moving when your wounds aren’t fully treated, the palace guards will catch you. You know that, right?”

Ricardo, glaring at her, sighed deeply and shook his head.

“…Hah, I know you’re right, but why does it feel so bad?”

Without acknowledging his words, Yvonne nodded at Lucy.

“I need to go change and head out, so wait here for a moment. Keep an eye out to make sure no one comes in.”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

Lucy answered reluctantly as Yvonne straightened up and got ready to leave.

“Don’t cause any trouble,” Yvonne added.

Ricardo, never missing a chance to speak, smirked and replied,

“Aren’t you the one causing trouble here, Your Highness?”

“….”

“You’re sneaking around, treating a wounded man in secret. What’s going to happen if this gets out?”

Yvonne closed her eyes for a moment and then spoke in her usual calm tone.

“Do you really think I care what happens? Do you think I’ll just stand by and let you die?”

Her blue eyes, which were normally calm, now met his sharp red ones—eyes that looked like a predator’s.

Ricardo squinted as he looked into Yvonne’s eyes. Her appearance was average—ordinary platinum blonde hair, pale blue eyes, nothing outstanding about her looks—but there was something strangely stiff and resolute about her, as though she knew something he didn’t.

“Whether I’m locked up for a crime I didn’t commit or die because I saved you, I don’t care.”

“….”

“What I care about is saving you, Ricardo. That’s all.”

With that, Yvonne turned and left the greenhouse, her steps brisk.

Knowing the guard shift times, Yvonne carefully avoided being seen and managed to get back to her room.

“Janet, could you help me get dressed?”

Yvonne took off her blood-soaked outerwear and shoved it into a box in the dressing room, then called another maid to help her change into fresh clothes.

“Your Highness, I think there’s a strange smell coming from the dressing room.”

As Janet was adjusting the corset, she sniffed the air and looked concerned.

“Really? I don’t smell anything.”

Yvonne lied casually, though she kept her eye on the box containing the bloodstained dress.

The dress was on a shelf at her height, but she couldn’t relax yet.

‘I’ll have Lucy burn it or something…’

She couldn’t afford to let her guard down, remembering how quickly things had gone wrong in her past life.

She had to save Ricardo and secretly send him to Naha. That was her top priority—she would do anything to complete her revenge.

Just as she finished changing into a new dress and was about to leave, a polite knock sounded at the door.

“Your Highness, Lord Tristan requests an audience.”

So it begins. Yvonne sighed softly inside her head.

“Lord Tristan? Didn’t he come by earlier?”

Janet asked, confused.

Yvonne gave a bitter smile and nodded.

“He’s coming to find me because I haven’t shown up.”

It had been nearly an hour since Yvonne moved Ricardo to the greenhouse and dealt with him. After hearing that the Emperor wanted to see her, she sent Tristan away without any further instructions, so it wasn’t surprising that he’d come back to urge her.

“Let him in.”

As soon as Yvonne left the dressing room, the door burst open, and an obviously angry Tristan stormed in.

His breath was ragged, and his face was flushed with anger.

“What do you think you’re doing, ignoring the Emperor’s request for an audience?”

Tristan didn’t even bother with formalities, looking both confused and frustrated.

Yvonne just stared at him silently, and Janet, watching from the side, fidgeted nervously.

Tristan’s outburst was inevitable, so Janet stepped in to intervene.

“Uh, Lord Tristan, please calm down.”

Tristan shot her a glare, raising a finger to point at her.

“Do I look calm to you?”

“……”

“The Emperor’s request should be your top priority! And here you are, calmly changing clothes and ignoring your duties. How do you think that looks?”

Tristan, now completely losing his composure, crossed his arms and started mocking Yvonne, forgetting even about her safety.

“Is the Emperor’s consort just some common woman? I know you want to please him, but it’d be better to show up at the agreed time. I guarantee that would go over better.”

“……”

“Tell me, what is the real reason? Surely, it’s not just to have breakfast and change clothes.”

Yvonne didn’t answer immediately.

If this had been her past life, she would have bowed her head, apologized, and accepted whatever Tristan said.

But now, Yvonne was determined to create a change in her life.

She couldn’t waste time on things that didn’t matter, like worrying about what others thought.

“I don’t think I need to explain myself to you.”

Tristan froze, wide-eyed, when he heard her cool reply.

“W-What did you just say?”

Yvonne, with her arms crossed and a slight smirk, repeated herself.

“I told you, I don’t need to explain my actions to you, Tristan.”

“Your Highness!”

Tristan was stunned, but Yvonne didn’t hesitate. She raised her voice, firm and clear.

“If you think I need to apologize for being late, that’s a huge misunderstanding. I’ll apologize directly to the Emperor. Now, lead the way.”

“No…”

Yvonne dropped her smirk, replaced with a cold expression, and glared at Tristan.

“I said, lead the way.”

“……”

“Does the Empress-in-name’s command not sound serious enough for you?”

With a grunt, Tristan straightened up, looking defeated.

He nodded awkwardly and gestured for her to follow.

“Sorry. This way, please.”

“Good.”

Yvonne scoffed under her breath, and she, Tristan, and Janet made their way to the back path of the Empress’s palace.

As they passed the blooming rose garden, Yvonne kept her usual solemn expression, but her mind was elsewhere.

The small greenhouse at the back. That’s where Ricardo and Lucy were.

If Ricardo, like an untamed beast, caused a scene and was discovered, what would happen?

She had boldly claimed that she didn’t care, but honestly, she was worried about what might happen next.