"That was incredibly unladylike and downright awful coming from a Royal Princess, Your Highness," I said, my voice steady but dripping with sarcasm. My words hung heavily in the air, each one deliberate, as I watched her reaction closely. "I never did anything against you. I never harmed you, and I never even spoke to you much, yet you slapped me and forced me to witness the horrific vision of your death." I clicked my tongue in frustration, shaking my head slowly, as if trying to process how deeply unjust this situation was.
"Seems like that kind of behavior runs in your family, doesn't it? The disrespect, the disregard for anyone else's feelings, all while pretending to be above it all. How predictable. Just don't make me swear on my life and to the Gods not to tell the world about how you're going to die, because the last time that happened, it didn't end well for anyone involved. I'm still hated by everyone. I'm still blamed for that damn promise. It's as if I'm the one who doomed them all, even though they were already walking the path to destruction long before I even spoke those cursed words."
Daisuke, unable to contain himself any longer, shouted in anger, his face contorting in a mixture of confusion and fury. "What are you talking about?" His voice rang through the room, completely losing all composure, as if the weight of my words was too much for him to process. He was so used to being in control, so used to calling the shots, but I could see he had no idea how to handle this.
I clenched my jaw tightly, my body tense with the frustration that had been building inside me for so long. I ignored him completely, my eyes locking onto the Princess, and spoke again, my voice cold but mocking. "What? Will you also blame me for how you're going to die at ninety-nine years old, from a heart attack while you're peacefully asleep in your bed, surrounded by all your loved ones? The same way you blame me for the Rosé disease, like it was somehow my fault that it spread, my fault that people suffered?" My words were laced with mockery, and I could almost taste the bitterness that rolled off them. I could feel the heat rising in my chest, but I forced myself to stay calm, to make her understand just how utterly ridiculous her accusations were.
Her eyes widened in disbelief, her face drained of color as she tried to process what I was saying. "What? I'll die at... ninety-nine?" she gasped, her voice faltering with genuine shock, the image of her supposed death suddenly too real for her to ignore. The absurdity of the situation, the tension in the room, seemed to hang in the air like a heavy fog.
I gently caressed the tender spot on my skin where she had slapped me, the sting still lingering as if she had branded me with her cruelty. "Yes," I said softly, my voice almost mocking in its sweetness. "You'll die surrounded by a horde of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, all of them mourning your passing, unaware of the truth. They'll think it was just old age, the natural course of things. But come on, aren't you an expert at blaming others for your problems? Go ahead, blame me. Tell me I'm the one who's going to kill you, Princess." I let out a bitter laugh, not hiding the venom in my words, and the sound of it was like acid to the air.
"But you can't, can you? No. You can't blame me, because by the time you die, I'll be long gone. And do you know what? I can't wait for that day. I can't wait to see how you'll react when you finally face the truth of it all. Who will you direct your mindless hatred at then? Who will be your scapegoat, Princess? You seem to specialize in projecting your stupid grief onto someone who isn't even to blame for your misfortune, accusing me of things that are not my fault. Go on, tell me that your natural death is somehow my doing. Will you blame my ghost when I'm long gone? I'd love to see that."
"Compose yourself, Nsomi!" Daisuke hissed, his voice a sharp, angry whisper, his eyes flashing with irritation at my defiance. He clearly could not stand me challenging him in front of his sister, the Princess. But I wasn't done yet. I wasn't backing down.
"Compose myself?" I swallowed back the many horrible things I could say to him, the cruel words that burned like fire in my chest. But I knew I had to maintain control, no matter how much I wanted to lash out. "Yes, that's for the best, isn't it?" I scoffed, my voice dripping with sarcasm as I shook my head slowly. "You are so fair and kind, Your Highness. You're absolutely right. I should compose myself, because I'm the one out of line here. I'm the one misbehaving and assaulting innocent people, aren't I?" I couldn't stop myself. The bitter laugh bubbled up from deep within me, and I let it escape, my voice cold and mocking.
"Yes, I'm sorry, Princess. Did I slap your immaculate face too hard? Did I offend you by calling you a liar, by accusing you of a murder you didn't commit? Ah, I'm so sorry. I'm such a vile princess, aren't I? Yes, I should compose myself. Mmhm, thank you, Your Fair Highness, Crown Prince Daisuke Maximilian, for putting my mind in the right place. I've been a spoiled brat, and I've harmed your dear, innocent sister. It's all my fault. It's all my fault, right?"
Before I could even finish my mocking statement, Ismene shot back at me, her voice low and venomous, her temper now completely unleashed. "Who are you calling a spoiled bitch, you little whore?" she hissed, her eyes flashing with fury.
I tilted my head to the side, pretending to be surprised, playing the role of the innocent one. "Did you not hear, Princess?" I asked, my voice calm but full of fake innocence. "I agreed with your clever and just brother. I'm the spoiled bitch who assaults innocents and throws tantrums because I can't deal with my hurt pride. I'm confessing just as he wants me to. I'm saying what you want to hear, no? You're blaming me for everything, aren't you?"
"So, why do you sound so offended now, when I'm cursing myself? Aren't you supposed to be the innocent one here? Why are you using such cruel, mean-spirited words to talk to me? Am I a whore? I thought a whore was a dirty name, usually used to refer to sex workers. Are you calling me a sex worker now? Because that's not only insulting my integrity, but I can also prove that I'm as pristine as the day I was born."
I raised an eyebrow, my voice turning even more pointed, the sarcasm dripping from my words. "But can you say the same for every unmarried lady in this room? Are they all as spotless as you claim to be, Princess?"
Ismene gasped, her eyes widening in horror and fluster. "I... I didn't call you a sex worker."
"You called me a whore," I replied calmly, my frown deepening as I took another step closer, the tension between us thickening. "Is Your Highness unaware of the meaning of the word whore? If you are, then why did you use it so aggressively against me? Please, explain to me why you're so rude to me when I haven't done anything to provoke you."
Her face twisted in frustration and rage, her voice shaking as she tried to control herself. "You... you... You saw my death," she shouted, her words spilling out in a rush, her disbelief palpable. She was trembling, her face flushed with a mix of fear and anger, as if the very thought had driven her to the edge.
I stood tall, my posture unwavering, a cold smile curling on my lips, and I looked her directly in the eyes. "Yes. I saw your death, Princess," I said quietly, my voice filled with finality. "And let me tell you something—there's nothing you can do to change it. It's already written, and you are powerless to stop it. It can't be avoided, it can't be changed. I tried before, it was helpless. Not that you'd believe me either way, you never did, I don't know why that'd change now."
The words hung in the air, heavy and cold, as the room fell into a stunned silence.