Yuri could not help but admire the nature of humanity. A loved one could be the greatest strength or the exact opposite in a split second. She witnessed how the tides of fate swirled in Riza's fearful yet hopeful eyes. Yuri could practically hear the gears turning inside her petty mind.
Loyalty could be bought with the right amount of silver. But even a hefty amount of wealth could wither when torn between a loved one – resulting in Riza's impending betrayal of her younger sister Lady Charlotte Rosehil.
'Oh, how I love this kind of plot twist! To turn this poison called Riza into a spear that will someday pierce the heart of Ivynia's wretched little sister. Isn't it romantic?'
Yuri could not help but fuss over the picturesque future of those who made this body suffer like no other.
"What d-do you mean, Your Highness? And how did you know?"
The scent of White Roses from the nearby vase made its way to Yuri. She caught the flowers between her dainty fingers and plucked their petals in front of the kneeling Riza.
For the first time, the young handmaiden realized how Lady Charlotte was spewing lies when the latter told her that Lady Ivynia was a harmless one. With the way the crown princess looked down at her, the amber eyes glued on her were like the look of a beast observing its prey. It glinted dangerously paired with Crow Princess Ivynia's comforting smile – Riza felt as if she was in the devil's presence.
"Question. Questions. Questions. Is your mother's life really worth that less? Is the silver you are receiving right now enough to give her a good life before she croaked?" Yuri leaned towards the frozen Riza. Tilting the latter's chin, Yuri whispered right next to the young handmaiden's left ear. "Say, I can heal her. Will you follow me to the pits of hell?" Yuri let go of Riza, walked away from the servant, she took a seat at her study table.
Yuri scribbled the ingredients that could compensate as a tunic for Tuberculosis. The grinning chemist also included the ingredient for the variety of poisons she would use in the future. She was this sure that the path wherein Riza would be her hands and feet was already set. The dry feeling of the parchment against her hand made Yuri remember her life as a renowned chemist.
"Truly? Can you really cure my mother?" Riza was now standing in front of Yuri. The desperation on her face and the urgency in her voice were the telltale signs that her mother was indeed suffering even with the silver she received as Charlotte's spy.
Yuri slid the parchment toward Riza's direction. It was as if she was dangling a carrot rather than a stick. "See this? This will help your mother if she takes the medicine I make thrice a week. But, should I stop to supply the tunic, your mother's illness will attack her aggressively. What do you think, my darling pet?"
For the nth time, Riza kneeled in front of her. "This servant will die for the Crown Princess Ivynia. So please, please cure my mother."
'Ahhh, filial ties are quite amazing.'
"I am not asking you to die for me. I want you to go to hell with me. Be my feet and hands. Are you willing to sell yourself to me, darling?"
"From this moment on, this servant relinquishes her freedom and gives the reigns to the Crown Princess Ivynia," said Riza.
"ANNOUNCING THE ARRIVAL OF THE CROWN Princess Ivynia Ilorde Rosehil," said the head maid of the crown prince's palace the moment the double doors of the prince's chambers opened for her.
Rows of servants bowed upon her arrival. Clad in her layered red-colored laced gown that emphasized her tiny waist without the help of a corset and the off-shoulder design that showed her blessed bosoms – Yuri was dressed to win a war that would happen in the diner with her beloved betrothed. Her unique silky black hair was laid freely adorned with flower wreaths made of gold and gemstones. Attached to her left face was a mask made of the lightest silver to cover her dragon scales. After all, she did not want to distract the pompous crown prince during their dinner – they had important matters to attend to rather dilly-dallying about her adversaries.
The crown prince, sitting rather rudely at the center of his receiving area, did a double take after seeing his crown princess. With Riza only her handmaiden, the two bowed in the crown prince's presence.
Yuri gracefully curtsied. "Blessings to the empire's star, Crown Prince Leonedas."
By doing so, Yuri made use of the fact that her bosoms were partially exposed. Peeking through her eyelashes, she saw how his lewd aquamarine eyes sparkled at her blatant display.
'No wonder how you easily succumb to Ivynia's little sister. I never thought it would be this easy.'
Crown Prince Leonedas' butler coughed slightly to wake his master, who was drooling like a dog. "You may take a seat, Crown Princess Ivynia." He turned to his other servant. "Prepare the dinner at the Lily Garden."
In her peripheral vision, Yuri observed the crown prince sipping her favorite Oolong Tea. Crown Prince Leonedas, the eldest son of the twenty-ninth emperor and the son of the late empress, looked absolutely handsome. Unlike the princely aura of Prince Hyan, the crown prince got an intimidating aura around him. His cravat was loosening up, his coat discarded at the back of his seat, and his shoulder-length silver hair was haphazardly tied. Crown Prince Leonedas was better suited in the knights rather than be a prince—Yuri's honest observation.
Riza took a step backward, standing a meter away from Yuri, sitting gracefully on the couch adjacent to where the crown prince was seated. Four people inside the lavish chamber remained silent. With the way that the crown prince instructed his servant, Yuri concluded that he did not prepare for dinner with the intent to humiliate her. After all, no one was unaware of the Rosehil Duchy's eldest daughter – the ugliest among the continent with a meek personality that was the image being portrayed by Ivynia. Instead of flourishing like a blooming flower after her debutante, she was withering with no chance to bloom.
'How pitiful'.
"The Lily Garden sounds great, Your Highness. This princess is so ecstatic," said Yuri with her sweet smile. Clasping her dainty hands together, paired with her bright smile, was a display of vulnerability, as if she was inviting the lewd prince to take advantage of her.
Crown Prince Leonedeas stood up, hungry to take the woman in his arms. "Then, shall we go and explore the Lily Garden together?"
'Finally, the fool has taken the bait.'
Yuri merrily accepted his large hand as he escorted her outside. Their servants maintained a five-meter distance to give the couple some privacy. Though the servants from the prince's palace were left pondering why the crown prince showed a flirty smile to the ugliest woman on the continent. They heard firsthand how the crown prince trashed his office upon receiving the Imperial Edict. But looking at him now, he was acting like a puppy eager to please his master.
"The Lily Garden was made by the famous gardener …."
Yuri muted the crown prince's nonsensical blabbering. She was mindful of the provocative right hand of the crown prince that was attached and was sensually caressing her waist as his left hand was holding her hand firmly.
She now realized why he was given the crown prince title despite his blatant stupidity. His foolishness would make him the perfect puppet. A puppet emperor and a meek low-esteemed empress would be an ideal pair for the current emperor – a puppet monarch and the supposedly retired emperor would pull the string behind the scene.
The twenty-ninth emperor, the dowager empress, the other six princes, and the fourth prince who would someday become the thirtieth emperor according to the original plot – these people were my enemies within the Imperial Palace. They were the main concerns as she would slowly accumulate power through information.
Yuri decided to be the thirtieth empress with Crown Prince Leonedas as her emperor. She would never dare to repeat the mistake that the original Ivynia made.
Leaning her head towards the brazen crown prince, Yuri languidly whispered to his left ear while tiptoeing to reach him. "Your Highness, my dress feels tight. Can you help me loosen the strings?"