Chapter 47
“Why would Rina’s death be my fault? It’s yours.”
I already knew that Rina liked Nathan.
So even though she was my responsibility, I didn’t scold her for taking better care of him.
I understood how it felt to have unrequited love, just like when I secretly liked Raphael.
In the end, unrequited love always ends in misery—whether for Rina or me.
“No, it’s not my fault.”
Her eyes were red, as if she felt deeply wronged.
Pathetic.
“You know it’s partly your fault. You just want to shift the blame because of guilt.”
Caught in the truth, she could only glare at me, unable to argue back.
“Start living properly, at least now. Rina would want that too.”
“You talk too much, sister. Looks like it’s time for you to die.”
Useless guy. A little nagging, and now he curses me.
“Looks like you have a sword. And there’s a witness servant right here.”
He smiled widely and stepped closer.
“I’ll help you.”
He took my hand holding the sword and guided it toward my chest.
‘So this is what it’s like to face a man.’
I felt the gap in strength instantly. I tried to resist, but it was pointless.
In the end, I found myself in the position of aiming the sword at my own heart.
I stared at him, refusing to show weakness, just to seem stronger.
Nathan flinched as if disgusted by the touch of my hand, then spoke.
“You should stab your own heart. For Rina.”
As he said this, his eyes flickered.
I clenched the sword tightly and glared at him, and then…
[Die, die!]
A strange voice, neither male nor female, began echoing in my ears.
Who is this voice?
No time to figure it out. I needed to act quickly.
Somehow, it felt like the voice would continue tormenting me until I obeyed its commands.
Finally,
“Ugh.”
“Do you think I’m a fool?”
I twisted the sword and stabbed Nathan in the abdomen.
“Did you think I’d just die if you told me to?”
A perfect choice—the voice that had been ringing in my ears vanished the moment Nathan was pierced.
I laughed as I watched him clutch his stomach and collapse, then froze.
Wait… I actually stabbed someone.
“Cough… What would my father say if he saw this?”
At least I knew my father wasn’t on my side.
Nathan, stabbed and bleeding, with blood on my dress… would anyone believe that he had threatened me while he was previously weak?
“You’ll get punished too, I suppose. Not like Rina, though; not execution.”
I looked at Luca, who was standing silently, unmoving as before.
Clearly, he hadn’t helped when I was in danger, so he wasn’t on my side.
That meant he could give statements against me in front of my father.
‘I have no choice.’
I grabbed the jewelry I had packed and ran.
‘So strange…’
From the second floor to the first, and then out to the garden, I hadn’t seen a single person.
Why was the mansion so quiet today?
I reached the end of the garden.
The moment I opened the gate to leave…
‘…!’
A strong hand grabbed my arm, almost making me scream.
Another assassin?
“Sorry, you were startled, right?”
But the familiar voice eased my tension.
“…What are you doing here?”
It was Theo.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”
I stared blankly at his worried eyes, then realized—my dress was soaked in blood.
‘Pathetic.’
We hadn’t met in a long time, and now this.
“I’m fine. Let’s go.”
I turned to escape, unable to keep showing this pathetic side.
“If you try that, I can’t leave you behind.”
Theo’s arms wrapped around my waist faster than I expected.
No, I’m not used to this kind of contact.
Calm down, heart. It’s over.
“My… dress is dirty.”
“It’s okay.”
I tried to wriggle free, but his grip tightened.
This guy—was he also in league with Nathan?
“I have to go. Let me go.”
“No.”
Was he here to arrest me for the crime I’d committed?
Then shouldn’t he put handcuffs on me?
Why is he holding my waist?
“Yvonne, come with me.”
Where? To prison?
“It’s a bit far, but…”
Exile, maybe?
Nathan wasn’t dead yet, so shouldn’t the severity of my crime be reduced?
While I hesitated, the arms around my waist disappeared.
I should be running, but why do I feel a little regret?
Maybe there’s still attachment.
Theo appeared in front of me, holding my shoulders.
“At least it’ll be safer than here. I’ll protect you.”
Not prison, then.
“Where are we going?”
“To another empire. Far away.”
Right, Theo had mentioned going far away.
As a fugitive, I had no choice.
“Alright. I’ll go with you.”
He smiled brightly at my answer.
“We’re leaving now, right?”
“Wait a moment. They’ll be out soon.”
We needed to leave immediately—why weren’t they coming?
Who were we waiting for?
“Hurry up and come out.”
Theo spoke into a necklace as if it were a walkie-talkie.
I wanted one like that.
But there was no response.
“Who is it?”
“Someone you know. Sorry, just wait a bit.”
He spoke into the necklace again, ordering them to come quickly, but still no reply.
I urgently spoke into the necklace.
“Theo says come out quickly.”
[Yes, I’m coming out now.]
Finally, a response.
A moment later,
“You are…”
“Princess, are you alright?”
The servant Luca appeared at the gate.
“Why are you only coming out now?”
“Sorry, Theo. Something strange happened.”
Were they familiar with Theo?
I glanced between the two, confused.
“What? What’s your relationship?”
“Don’t worry. They’re on our side.”
“Not really?”
Damn. I saw it.
Following Nathan’s orders like puppets.
“I’ll explain. For now, get into the carriage.”
I looked at Luca suspiciously, refusing to follow immediately.
“It’s fine. Nothing dangerous will happen.”
Theo held my hand, and I calmed down a little. I needed to hear the explanation in the carriage.
“So… Nathan can really hypnotize people?”
Nathan’s orders had no effect on me. At first, I thought he was lying.
Luca explained: he had initially appeared to protect me.
But when Nathan spoke, the servants followed him unconsciously.
“So that’s why there was no response when I called.”
Theo nodded, realizing why no one replied.
“After you left, he gave me another order.”
“What was it?”
“To tell the Duke that the Princess stabbed him with a sword.”
Crap.
Would my father even protect me? I stabbed my brother!
“Did you tell him?”
“Yes. I woke the Duke in his office and told him.”
“My father?”
I raised my voice in surprise. Fathers don’t usually nap.
And in his office?
“Wasn’t it strange today? I didn’t see anyone anywhere.”
“They were all asleep. He may have drugged them to carry out his plan.”
Nathan was meticulous.
How do I get revenge? Right now, I’m at a disadvantage.
“By the way, impressive. The Princess resisted hypnosis.”
“Me?”
“Yes. He ordered you to stab your own heart.”
I remembered—Nathan’s eyes commanding me to stab, and the noisy voice in my ears. That was hypnosis.
“How dare he.”
Theo’s anger poured out when he realized I had nearly been killed.
“Calm down. I’m alive.”
Yes. I had stabbed someone.
It was a dangerous, terrible act I’d never done before.
My hands shook as I realized the reality, even though I held them together to calm myself.
“It’s okay.”
Theo held my trembling hands, trying to reassure me.
“Truly remarkable. You resisted hypnosis.”
Luca looked at me in admiration.
I had resisted Nathan’s hypnosis.
At the time, I hadn’t even realized it.
“It was just luck, I guess. Like Nathan said.”
A lie. If I’m right, Nathan’s hypnosis won’t work on me from now on.
The reason I resisted Nathan’s hypnosis was probably…
