Chapter 08
Although she had already ascended to the position of Crown Princess and become the person closest to the next throne, she was always anxious that one of her siblings might overtake her. Filled with greed and distrust, she constantly feared being pushed aside. On the surface, she played the role of a benevolent Crown Princess, but behind the scenes she had always guarded her position by keeping others in check and crushing them when necessary. In that context, the change in her youngest sibling—whom she had considered the most insignificant—was more than enough to fan the flames of her anxiety.
Moreover, she had grown up watching how her mother, the Empress, was strangely more wary of Raphaella than of any of the other formidable siblings.
At last, having made up her mind, Setrin opened her mouth.
“Proceed. A mere mine or two can be smoothed over once I become Emperor.”
“Yes. I will carry out your command.”
“Have them monitor her every move. Who she meets, where she goes, what she does—everything.”
“Of course. We can do even more if you wish. If you desire, even assassination—”
“That can wait. For now, we need to keep a leash on her. First, we must dig down to the very roots of where Raphaella’s confidence comes from. Only then can we truly crush her.”
“As expected. A wise decision.”
Afterward, Gerard spoke eloquently for quite some time, completely calming Setrin before finally leaving the room. Walking down the dark corridors of the imperial palace, Gerard clicked his tongue lightly.
“Tsk. To tremble like that over nothing—just a child who’s only just come of age. Still, thanks to her, I’ve gained a mine, so I can’t complain.”
He smiled brightly, then stroked his chin and tilted his head.
“It’s the Empress’s order, so I’ll comply, but for someone sitting in the position of Crown Princess to be this weak… It does make her easy to manipulate, though.”
Leaving Setrin’s palace, Gerard slipped his hands into his trouser pockets and strolled leisurely through the palace gardens. A greedy smile never left his face.
“Either way, I just need to obey well. Then the next ducal title will be mine. And the day I trample that blockheaded William Klimt won’t be far off.”
Humming cheerfully to himself, Gerard exited the imperial palace, lost in pleasant imaginings.
Meanwhile, Raphaella, having sent Setrin off, left the central palace in a refreshingly good mood.
The distance back to her chambers was long enough that she should have taken a carriage, but none of the attendants of the banquet hall nor the guards offered to summon one for her.
However, Raphaella didn’t even recognize this as discrimination, so there was no way it could affect her. If she had realized it, she wouldn’t have let it slide so easily.
Thus, without much thought, she simply started walking, heading roughly in the direction where her chambers were located, crossing through the gardens.
“What kind of garden goes on forever like this? Just how much money did they pour into it?”
Among the beautifully tended flowering trees, ornate statues were placed here and there for display, and at the center stood a fountain as large as a pond. Though it was night, densely placed lamps glittered, illuminating the paths. It was a garden worthy of the money spent on it.
With her hands clasped behind her back, Raphaella walked at an unhurried pace.
As the night breeze filled with the scent of grass and flowers brushed past her, being in the human realm felt all the more real. At first, it had felt stifling and daunting, but after a few days, she began to think it might be fairly livable.
“Still, where did that little brat run off to without showing his face?”
If Perri had been around, she could have reached her room in no time. Thinking that, she clicked her tongue in regret.
Before she realized it, she was quite far from the banquet hall, and the surroundings began to feel more like a forest path than a garden. Raphaella continued walking, trusting her instincts.
“This way feels right… probably.”
After leaving the garden, the path became winding and full of forks, making it confusing, but fortunately the ground was well maintained and easy to walk on. Only the sound of leaves rustling in the wind and insects chirping filled the air.
It was a quiet night.
As the lamps grew farther apart and the path grew suspiciously dark, Raphaella heard whispering voices reach her ears.
“Hm?”
Instinctively, she stopped and listened closely. A short distance ahead, it sounded like two young men were arguing.
“Do you truly wish to see me die?”
“Why would you say such a thing?”
“If that’s not it, then why… why are you testing me like this?”
“It’s because I care about you.”
“If you cared, you should have protected me! Will you only listen once I collapse and die?”
The ominous content of the conversation made Raphaella’s eyes sparkle, and she quickly hid behind a tree.
“Oh my. Goodness. Could it be…?”
Peeking out from behind the tree, Raphaella swiftly searched for the owners of the voices.
Not far away stood a black-haired man with a solid build and a gaunt, brown-haired man. Though it was a fairly dark forest path, both men were tall and striking enough that their good looks were obvious even in silhouette.
The black-haired man in particular caught her eye with his pale, moonlit skin, sharp nose, and angular jawline. He was masculine yet refined at the same time. Without realizing it, Raphaella swallowed.
“Even in the divine realm, a face like that would be rare. With looks like that, it wouldn’t be only women he attracts.”
The black-haired man let out a deep sigh and pressed a hand to his forehead, while the brown-haired man continued speaking as if pleading.
“How far do you intend to ruin me, Duke? There’s no more weight left for me to lose.”
“…I’m sorry about that. But I will compensate you properly later. You know how thorough I am with my work.”
“What meaning does compensation have if it comes after death? I no longer wish to be treated so miserably.”
“…Can’t you wait just a little longer?”
“No. I will now leave your side, Duke.”
“Mark! You can’t.”
The black-haired man, called a duke, grabbed the brown-haired man—Mark—by the wrist in alarm.
“I absolutely won’t allow it. Without you… you know you’re all I have right now. How could you say that?”
“You’re the one who made me this way, Duke.”
At the heated exchange between the two men, Raphaella unconsciously sucked in a breath and covered her mouth with both hands.
“My goodness. I’d heard the human world had changed a lot, but I never imagined it would be this entertaining.”
Her eyes sparkling, Raphaella leaned forward to get a closer look at the two men. However, still unaccustomed to this heavy body, she lost her balance and stepped on a branch.
Rustle—
Sensing someone’s presence, the two men sharply turned their heads toward Raphaella.
“Damn it!”
Raphaella quickly ducked back behind the tree when she met the duke’s piercing blue eyes, but it was already too late.
“Who’s there?”
Sching—
Lowering his voice coldly, the duke called out as he drew his sword. Mark, the brown-haired man beside him, also unsheathed his blade and went on guard.
“Come out and state your identity.”
Raphaella hesitated for a moment.
“Ah, hell. This is going to be a pain. Should I just run?”
She had merely been an innocent passerby, but in an instant she felt like she’d become a pervert peeping on something forbidden, which left her in a strangely foul mood.
Though, to be fair, she had been peeking out of curiosity.
“In any case, I am a princess. It would be troublesome to be mistaken for a pervert.”
She worried that things might grow more complicated or troublesome later.
The bigger problem was that with this dull body, even if she tried to run, she would surely be caught—and being caught that way would only make things more ridiculous.
As Raphaella was rapidly thinking, the duke spoke again.
“If you do not come out, I will drag you out.”
He signaled to Mark, who nodded briefly and moved quickly toward where Raphaella was hiding.
Hearing that, Raphaella swallowed.
“Damn it. In that case, I have no choice. A lost princess is better than a voyeuristic pervert.”
Raphaella sprang to her feet. She brushed off her crumpled dress roughly, then lifted her chin and stepped out from behind the tree, deliberately lowering her voice to sound lofty.
“And just who is dragging whom out?”
She believed that in moments like this, it was best to be bold and confident—and fortunately, that assumption proved correct.
Seeing her attire, Mark immediately recognized her as a princess. He hastily lowered his sword, dropped to one knee, and offered his respects. Only members of the imperial family were allowed to wear gold dresses, after all—even if the one Raphaella wore was worn and shabby.
“Y-Your Highness the Princess? I apologize.”
Raphaella folded her arms leisurely and tilted her head slightly, accepting the greeting with composure. Mark continued anxiously.
“I failed to recognize you and committed a grave mistake… I beg your forgiveness.”
“It was dark. A misunderstanding is understandable. It’s fine.”
“Th-Thank you.”
She replied kindly, feeling inwardly pleased with how naturally she had handled the situation.
Meanwhile, the black-haired duke, who had been standing a short distance away, approached with measured steps. Placing one hand over his chest, he bowed.
“The Star of the Empire. I greet the Seventh Princess. Please forgive my earlier rudeness.”
Having seen all the other princesses at the banquet before, the duke deduced that Raphaella—whom he was seeing for the first time—must be the reclusive Seventh Princess.
Raphaella once again nodded calmly, intending to accept the greeting and quickly make her exit.
However, the duke continued.
“However—”
