Episode 11. She Wasn’t as Smart as I Thought
Two weeks passed since I met Gran.
Nothing big happened during that time. Gran was still staying in the Remji Empire, and Henderson was quiet.
I wasn’t sure if Henderson didn’t know I was the woman who had spent that one night with him, or if he knew but pretended not to.
Either way, it was better for me. I didn’t want to see him again.
In those two weeks, I carefully prepared to leave. I set aside money I could use when living with Eddie.
They were small jewels — easy to carry, easy to turn into cash, and harder for my father to track.
I also found a doctor who could check whether I was pregnant. The appointment was two weeks from today.
While I prepared to leave, my marriage with Gran was also being arranged smoothly.
Even the Remji Empire welcomed the marriage, almost as if they had been waiting for it.
I heard Gran had already given up his right to the throne long ago, so he had little influence in the Empire. That meant nobody cared who he married.
But since marrying me would strengthen the alliance between the two empires, there was no reason to oppose it.
The wedding day was set — two weeks from today.
The day after the one I planned to escape.
That afternoon, I received the results of my request to the underworld guild.
I read the documents about Helena.
She was the eldest daughter of Count Moore, had graduated at the top of her class from the academy in the Remji Empire, and was skilled with her hands.
But what I really wanted to know was how and when she met Henderson.
It was written clearly:
“Her first love was Henderson Graham. They first met at the academy.”
So they had known each other for a long time. Maybe there was a bond between them that I could never break.
I didn’t know when Henderson started liking Helena, but I was certain that when he dated me, he didn’t like her yet.
Helena, however, clearly had always liked him.
I remembered rumors going around in society these days:
“Princess Riley is very promiscuous. People saw her going into rooms with men at masked balls.”
Those exact rumors had spread in the past too.
I had once faintly heard that Helena was the source, but I hadn’t cared much.
I thought: Helena is known as proper and pure. She wouldn’t do such a thing. And I’m not promiscuous, so why should I worry?
The rumor quickly faded and was forgotten.
But now that I knew Helena’s true face, I was sure she had spread those lies.
She must have seen me go into a room with Henderson and, blinded by jealousy, started those vicious rumors.
“This time, I won’t let her go.”
I called my maid.
“Matilda, are you outside?”
She entered and bowed.
“Yes, Princess.”
“I’m planning to hold a tea party tomorrow. Please deliver invitations to the guests I name.”
“Yes, I will.”
I handed her a list of names.
After she left, I looked over the rest of the items from the guild.
A fake ID and tickets for a ship bound for the Remji Empire.
The next day, I hosted a tea party at the palace.
The excuse was “a tea-tasting event with tea imported from the West.”
But the real purpose was to humiliate Helena.
“Does the tea suit your taste?” I asked.
Lady Vanessa, the daughter of Marquis Vanessa, nodded.
“It’s lovely. Thank you for inviting us, even though you must be so busy preparing for your wedding.”
I smiled faintly — the most perfect smile I had shown in a long time.
I looked around the room:
Lady Vanessa, my brother the Crown Prince Francis, the influential Duke Bernard and his wife, and…
Helena.
When our eyes met, Helena smiled sweetly.
“Princess Riley, thank you for inviting me as well. I’ve always wanted to get closer to you. I hope today can be the start.”
Hearing her voice made my stomach twist.
She acted like she longed for my friendship, even though she was the one who spread awful rumors about me.
In the past, I would have believed her. But not anymore.
“Actually, Lady Helena, I invited you here because I have something to say.”
Her eyes widened.
“To me?”
“Yes.”
I smiled brightly.
Before, I had always kept silent and let her have her way.
But this time, I was stronger. This time, I was prepared.
“I recently heard strange rumors spreading after the masked ball.”
“I… don’t know what rumors you mean,” Helena said, flustered.
She hadn’t expected me to bring up the masked ball.
“They said I was a debauched woman. That I was shameless.”
“….”
“Such ugly lies, spread just to stain the reputation of a princess. I couldn’t ignore it.”
I clicked my tongue. Helena quickly pretended to know nothing.
“How terrible,” she said.
“So I investigated myself.”
Her eyes widened in shock.
“And I discovered who spread those rumors.”
It wasn’t hard. I had known before, but had simply ignored it.
Helena probably thought I would always keep quiet like that.
But not anymore.
“Lady Helena. It was you. Why did you do it?”
Her face went pale. Her lips trembled. She avoided my eyes.
How different it was now — back in the other timeline, when I learned of her affair, I had reacted the same way.
I was ready for whatever excuse she might give. I had even prepared witnesses if needed.
The silence was heavy.
Then Helena suddenly spoke:
“Even if it was me, it doesn’t change the truth. You did enjoy yourself that night, didn’t you? Don’t you feel guilty toward Prince Gran?”
I hadn’t expected her to counterattack so boldly.
But then, I remembered: in the past, she had shamelessly admitted her affair with Henderson too.
She was always brazen.
No apology. Instead, she tried to attack me.
She wasn’t as smart as I had thought.
Perhaps her hatred toward me for “stealing” Henderson made her reckless.
I calmly answered:
“Oh dear… so you try to hide your own ugliness by insulting others? What a bad habit.”
“I only spoke the truth,” she snapped.
“Do you have proof that I ever acted like that? And how dare you speak so rudely to a princess? That itself is disgraceful.”
Only then did Helena realize her mistake.
“Princess Riley, I didn’t mean it like that…”
I turned to my brother.
“Francis, I feel so humiliated. I have a wedding soon, and yet she insults me like this…”
I put on a sorrowful expression, like I was about to cry. It wasn’t hard to act — I just thought of poor Eddie, who had died so unfairly.
Finally, my brother spoke.
He motioned to the two knights by the door.
“Arrest Lady Helena at once.”
Helena’s fate was sealed.
“Lady Helena, you are guilty of insulting royalty. As Riley’s brother, I cannot overlook this.”
I almost burst out laughing.
I quickly covered my mouth and pretended I was holding back tears instead.
A tragic heroine — and Helena’s downfall was complete.
