"If you don’t want to be torn apart and die like this, get lost right now."
Had she known this would happen, she would have killed them all when she still had the strength back then.
But after that day, her strength vanished, leaving Alicia as nothing more than a frail, powerless woman.
She no longer had the power to take someone's life.
For now, her only option was to puff herself up like a cornered cat, feigning strength to secure her safety.
"I can’t understand. Why was such power given to you of all people? Power should belong to those who can wield it properly..."
"You’ve been talking in front of me without running away this whole time. I guess you don’t value your life, do you?"
Alicia picked up the fallen dagger and brandished it in front of Velita, making sure she saw it.
Blood dripped from her clenched hand as the blade dug into her palm, but Alicia forced herself to endure the pain.
Despite deliberately causing a commotion, no one entered the room.
It seemed the royal palace was more deeply under Velita's control than she'd anticipated.
'Can I escape?'
Even if Velita had retired, she had once been a knight, and there were two others in the room besides her.
With her retreat cut off, the odds of escape were slim.
All she could do was stall for time, hoping the maid would arrive soon.
If Velita realised she was completely powerless, everything would be over.
“Think carefully, Your Highness. You are the last bloodline of Neustein—”
"Stop with the obvious lies. I'm not the only one alive, am I?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Whether I like it or not, my mother isn’t my only blood relative."
Alicia had heard that all members of the Neustein royal family, except for her, had been executed at the guillotine.
But were they really all dead?
"My veins carry the filthy blood of Neustein royalty. Which means, if even one of them survived, they could easily craft another pendant like that."
The chances of another royal family member surviving were higher than her mother still being alive.
After all, the imperial forces, including Cabelenus, had never seen the royal family members' faces.
"Stop spouting nonsense. If any of them had survived, why would I be here searching for you?"
"Whether it’s nonsense or not, we’ll find out soon enough. So who survived? Perto? Christa? Or is it… Elena?"
At the mention of the last name, Velita’s gaze wavered, if only for a brief moment.
Alicia didn't miss that fleeting moment.
"So, Elena is alive after all."
"What are you talking about? Princess Elena—"
"Elena's maid was her cousin. And the two of them looked so alike that people often mistook one for the other."
Elena was the most beautiful and quick-witted among her siblings.
If anyone could have thought of a way to escape even in such a dire situation, it would have been her.
"Stop with these bizarre fantasies. Princess Elena has already passed away."
"If she's dead, then why did you order the assassination?"
"I simply wanted you to fulfil your duties as a member of the Neustein royal family."
"No, that doesn’t hold up. You wouldn’t have been able to rally people together on your own."
Even if Velita had been the queen’s closest confidant, she wouldn’t have had enough justification to stand against Cabelenus.
To unite the rebels, they needed a clearer cause.
For example, a royal member from the fallen kingdom.
Alicia was the only Neustein royal known to be alive.
There was no one better to use as a figurehead than her.
And yet, Velita had forced Alicia into a dangerous assassination attempt.
The answer was clear.
Even if it wasn’t Alicia, there was someone else who could serve as the guiding force for the rebels.
"I don’t care whether you admit it or not. Elena’s fate is none of my concern."
Alicia still remembered her half-sister, who had looked at her as if she were less than an animal.
But even so, she didn’t intend to drag the barely surviving woman out and force her to die.
The situation was finally stabilising.
If the rebels surfaced now, another bloody storm would sweep through the land.
Neustein had already shed enough blood.
There was no need for more.
"Instead, just deliver this message to her: The days when everything went her way are over. Tell her to stop scheming, be grateful for her life, and live quietly."
"Grateful? You really are shameless. Do you not realise why Princess Elena ended up like that? It’s all because of you!"
"How is that my fault?"
"Because you failed to protect her."
Velita parroted the same argument over and over, and Alicia let out a deep sigh.
"I have no obligation to protect her."
"No obligation? How can you say that? Considering all the privileges you’ve enjoyed, protecting her should have been the least you could do."
"The delusional one is you. You're so drunk on the nonexistent glory of a past that never even existed, acting like a wild dog with its tail on fire."
"Watch your words. If you keep talking like that, you might end up just like that woman."
Velita smiled broadly as she stepped closer to Alicia.
Alicia’s eyes twitched slightly.
"…What did you just say?"
"I still remember that woman. When I think of how she crawled like a dog, begging for forgiveness, I can't help but laugh. It always lifts my spirits."
“You...”
"Oh, do you not like jokes like this? Or maybe you're embarrassed because it brings back memories of that time? It wasn’t just her, you know. It was you too. Like mother, like daughter, both crawling on all fours... haaa."
Velita’s mocking lips curled into a smirk before she let out a long, exaggerated sigh.
Then, as if flipping a switch, her expression went cold, her mocking demeanour gone.
"It seems the princess hasn’t regained her strength yet."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
Alicia’s eyes sharpened as she replied, tension clear in her voice.
This was bad.
She had expected to be discovered eventually, but it was happening much sooner than she anticipated.
"I’ve gone out of my way to taunt and provoke you, yet you haven’t even tried to attack me. That says it all, doesn’t it?"
If the strength had really returned, Alicia would definitely have not left her alone.
Velita’s lips curled into a triumphant arc as if she could already taste her victory.
Alicia gripped the dagger tightly.
"So deceitful, aren’t you, mongrel princess?"
"If you wish to die, I’ll grant your wish right now."
"Don’t bother bluffing. Shouting like a helpless prey about to be devoured doesn’t make you intimidating in the slightest."
Velita sneered, slowly closing the distance between them.
Alicia bit her lip anxiously.
She wanted to appear unfazed, but the icy sensation of cold sweat running down her back betrayed her fear.
"It would’ve been more entertaining if you’d regained your power, but alas, it seems you haven’t. What a pity."
"..."
"I usually don't like causing a fuss, but unfortunately, you've learned too much. If you were to let slip anything about the noble bloodline to that demon, it would become troublesome."
"Are you planning to kill me, then?"
"Killing a Neustein royal with my own hands would indeed be unfortunate, but what choice do I have? It’s your fault for being so useless. To preserve the honour of your noble bloodline, I have no choice but to deal with you."
"Do you think you can handle the aftermath of my death?"
Alicia was a slave, the property of Cabelenus.
Harming her would be seen as a direct challenge to him.
"Don’t worry. I’ll make sure your body is taken care of properly. I’ll even bury you with the maid who just left, so you won’t be lonely."
Of course, that demon bastard wouldn’t even realise the princess was dead. He’d just assume she had fled.
Without hesitation, Velita drew a spare dagger from her cloak.
Alicia clenched her teeth and, without a second thought, turned and bolted towards the door.
But her resistance didn’t last long.
Thud!
She hadn’t made it far before a dull sound echoed, and her body pitched forward.
Falling hard to the ground, her body ached with throbbing pain, but there was no time to register it.
Behind her, Velita's hand roughly pressed against the back of her neck, strangling Alicia with ruthless strength.
"Not even a single groan at a time like this? As always, the princess is remarkably resilient. I suppose that’s how you managed to accuse His Majesty and beg that demon for your life?"
"..."
Madness flickered in Velita's eyes.
At this long-awaited opportunity, an uncontainable smile crept out.
When Velita first heard that Alicia had betrayed the king and secured a place as Grand Duke Schwarhan’s woman, her blood boiled.
When Velita heard that Alicia, a sinner who had failed to protect Neustein, was enjoying privileges far beyond what she deserved, she truly felt as though she might lose her mind.
Yet, despite that, she did not kill her.
There was always the faint possibility of Alicia regaining power, and Alicia’s proximity to Cabelenus might have proven useful in its own way.
That was the only reason she had managed to endure it again.
But it was her misjudgment.
Alicia, who wielded Elena’s life as leverage, had shown no gratitude despite her powerless state.
She wasn’t of Neustein’s noble lineage but merely a filthy barbarian’s spawn. There was no reason to let her live any longer.
"I hear that demon is utterly smitten with you. Now, I can’t help but wonder how he’ll react to this. If you disappear, will he be enraged? Or will he remain indifferent?"
"..."
"Honestly, I hope he suffers. But that’s probably wishful thinking. No matter how finely you dress or how much care you take, you're nothing but a filthy mongrel. Do you really think someone would pour their feelings into someone as wretched as you?"
"..."
"I suppose it was just for entertainment. Unusual things tend to catch the eye, after all. Just as His Majesty did."
Velita's fingers leisurely grasped a handful of Alicia's hair.
If nothing else, at least her hair could have been blonde; then she might have been less offensive to look at.
Where had Neustein‘s noble lineage gone? The red hair, the ashen eyes — everything about her resembled that woman.
The woman who had dragged her noble master, once so elegant and beautiful, into ruin.
Velita could never forget the queen’s tearful face as she watched her husband embrace that woman.
"Still, the princess is fortunate. At least you’ll meet death by my hand, not some filthy imperial scum’s."
With a soft whisper, Velita tightened her grip on Alicia’s throat.
For the sake of the queen’s memory, Alicia deserved a torment worse than death, but there was no time to delay any longer.
It was time to finally put an end to this tiresome, wretched relationship.
"Farewell, mongrel princess."
Velita's blade pointed upwards without hesitation.
She hadn’t been able to kill that woman herself, but knowing she could end that woman's daughter with her own hands made her heart race.
It was then.
Bang.
The door, which had been firmly shut, flew open.
And then, a cold wind blew through the open door.
The smell carried by the wind was unbearably rancid and fishy.
"This is troublesome, in many ways."
A low voice reverberated through the room.
Even though her hazy vision, was blurred by lack of air, Alicia instinctively raised her head.
She couldn’t see his face clearly, but she knew immediately who it was.
Men with eyes like his were far from common.
"W-why are you… here...?"
Velita stammered, her voice faltering.
She had checked Cavelenus’s schedule meticulously before infiltrating the place.
He shouldn't have been here at all.
‘No, what’s the issue?’
A smile spread across Velita’s lips.
The demon she had so desperately wanted to kill had appeared before her.
The plan might have gone awry, but it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Velita harshly shoved Alicia aside as she got up.
No, it would be more accurate to say that she tried to get up.
Thud.
Velita’s body, unable to rise in time, helplessly rolled on the floor.
At some point, Cabelenus’s sword had appeared in his hand.
To him, the blade was always the simplest solution.
"It must be a shame to have missed the chance to die."
An unwavering, piercing gaze bore into Alicia.
On the outside, he appeared to be maintaining his composure, but the eyes visible through his long, slit-like eyelids were no different from those of a sharp, wild beast.
He was furious.
Realising this, Alicia gazed up at him blankly.
It was strange.
Just moments ago, she felt nothing, but after seeing his face, her entire body ached.
The forgotten pain became unbearable, and tears streamed down her face before she could stop them.
"Crying won’t help. No matter what happens, I won’t let you die."
Cabelenus approached and effortlessly scooped Alicia into his arms.
Blood stained his clothes, but he didn’t seem to care.
That made Alicia anxious.
She had promised herself not to get greedy, but she couldn’t help it.
"...I am not disappointed."
Once the tension eased, her body stopped cooperating.
Despite that, Alicia reached out with her trembling hands and clung to Cabelenus's neck.
"Don't move. It would be troublesome if the wound reopens from unnecessary movement."
"...I don't want to die."
"..."
"I want to live. I really want to live."
Even though Alicia could feel the growing tension in Cabelenus’s body, she pretended not to notice.
Instead, she buried her face against his neck, whispering her plea over and over again.
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