"What should we do now? The Crown Princess is missing..."
One of the maids worriedly said.
"L-Let's just say that she is still sleeping... or she went shopping... ah! I don't know anymore..."
The other maid replied as she panicked.
"What's the matter?", Camilla asked.
"Ah! Greetings to you, Your Majesty and Your Highness"
The maids paid their respect to Camilla and the Emperor who is holding a box of cake.
"Um... the Crown Princess..."
Seeing how the maids look pale and uneasy, Camilla barged in her room and saw no shadow of her younger sister.
"Dad! Estelle is not here!", Camilla exclaimed.
"What did you say?"
Jerome who is holding a bouqet of red camellias coldly asked.
"She is still injured, isn't she?! Why did she left her room in that state?!", Camilla worriedly said.
"What's the commotion so early in the morning"
Henry commented and yawned as he entered Estelle's chamber.
"T-The Crown Princess is missing", one of the maids replied.
"Oh... really?", he said and looked unbothered.
"You--!"
The Duke unknowingly dropped the bouqet of red camellias in the floor and grabbed Henry's collar.
"Whoa~ Calm down Mr. Duke", he said still cockingly smiling.
"Tell me where is she!", Jerome angrily commanded.
"She suffers and no one noticed. She is broken and yet again no one noticed. She did good things and still no one recognized. I bet no one will notice if she is drop dead. What do you expect from her? Stay in this place where she will act like a doll, feeling no pain and suffering? What a great farce! So I gave her a place where she can happily live her life to the fullest and even have a happily ever after with the man she will fell in love with"
Henry calmly replied and put a fake smile on his face. Jerome let go of him despite his extreme anger to him.
"I will bring her back, no matter what!", Jerome said.
"Good luck~!"
Henry sarcastically cheered before he left.
"I know both of you are wise enough"
Henry said with a smile on his face but his eyes are that of a madman.
"She is my heiress and this Empire needs her", the emperor replied.
Emperor XI immediately commanded his most trusted people, Grand Admiral Lewis and Grand General Warren, to bring back Estelle no matter what.
Meanwhile, Duke Jerome started his search with his men to look for Estelle, but she is already near her destination that Henry gave her.
When Estelle pretended to collapse, she gave signal to Henry that she is conscious. Henry got her signal and visited her chamber after all the maids and Duke Jerome left her room.
"Yo!"
Henry greeted her after he knocked. Estelle let her in and offered him to take a seat in the couch.
"Want some coffee or tea?", Estelle asked.
"Are you going to make it? If it is made by you, I will happily drink it", he happily said.
"This is a secret meeting, of course I will do it, Uncle", she replied with conviction.
"Oho... how did you know?", he excitedly asked.
"Would you believe me if I say that I am technically not your favorite niece and that I came from another world?", Estelle replied.
"Really?", he said in a sarcastic tone.
"Basically, I knew that you are my Uncle because we are inside a novel", she said.
"If what you are saying is the truth, then how will this "novel" will end?", he lazily asked.
"Death will keep coming for me", she replied.
"Why?", he seriously asked.
"Because I am the villainess of this novel", she replied.
"And how will you die?", he asked after seconds of pause.
"Beheaded", she shortly replied.
"By whose command?", he asked.
"By my own blood, Emperor Victor XI", she replied.
"Then, I'll kill him first!"
He said with rage and was about to leave her room but Estelle was able to stop him.
"Even if you kill him, nothing will change!"
She shouted that made him stop his track.
"Just like what I've said before... death will keep coming for me"
Estelle calmly said but Henry gritted his teeth.
"My older sister died because of that cold steel man who did not look at her as a woman, not even once! And now you are saying to me that you too will terribly die just like your mother and his hands again?! Why?!"
"Uncle, calm down! There is one way for me to live longer!"
"How?! Tell me...!"
"I must leave this place but I must not live at your Empire nor the Northern Empire. I must live in the Eastern Empire which is not mentioned in the novel. I have been planning my escape ever since I came here in this world and that is the only possible method for me to survive. That is why... please help me, Your Majesty!"
Estelle said and beg on her knees. Henry was shocked and speechless for a second.
"Then... the novel did not mentioned that my one and only apprentice is now the Emperor of the Eastern Empire?", he asked.
"Huh? Really?!", Estelle exclaimed.
"Then!", she excitedly said.
"I will ask him to take care of you. Present this to him, so he can recognize you"
Henry said as he handed the emblem of the Western Empire.
"Yeah... thank you, Uncle"
She replied and looked at the emblem. It is has the symbol of a snake and two spears.
Now that she reached her destination, she never thought that it will be difficult for her to meet the person that Henry recommended. She said where she came from, who she is, and what is her purpose but the guard won't let her in.
"That is what I am saying awhile ago... I need to meet Emperor Nicolaus Vesper Ancetus II, your ruler! I even presented the emblem that my uncle gave me to you a couple of times, why is it that I still can't enter?!"
She desperately asked as she was being rejected for mutiple times to enter the palace.
"Miss, you really cannot enter right now. The Emperor is busy as of this moment", the royal guard replied.
"Then, who can I speak with? Are you just going to let a lady wait in this scorching heat?"
Estelle asked as she wiped off her sweat. Ever since she lost her divine power, her body became weaker. When the weather is sunny but not that hot and humid, she still even felt like she is out of breath because of extreme heat. When the weather is quite cold, she is freezing in coldness. Because of this, she got sick most of the time.
"We are instructed to not let anyone and we will do what we are told to. And what is this emblem, it looks fake!"
The guard said as if she is mocking her.
"If you insist. But let's make a bet", Estelle replied.
The guard laughed out loud and scoffed then looked at her with malice.
"Sure! What kind of bet, Miss? Just so you know, I collect debts for a larger amount but you can do some service if you cannot pay", he asked.
"If I am really the Princess of the Southern Empire, then you must bet your life"
Estelle courageously said with a fake smile. Again, the guard gave her an annoying and proud laugh.
"How will you be able to do that, if I won't even give you a chance to enter the palace? Hm?"
The guard replied while running his fingers downward near her breast. Estelle did not move an inch but it is clear in her face how disgusted and angry she is.
"Do it and I will make sure to kill you and all your clan"
Estelle fiercely said which made the guard stop.
"How scary? Well, the fiercest a lady is, the more submissive she is... in bed!", the guard replied.
Estelle learned a little self-defense in her first life, so she used it to the malicious guard for her to enter the palace. She swiftly hit the head of the guard with a rock while he is being distracted and she successfully entered the palace.
She run and run to search for the Emperor but she eventually stopped because she realized how dumb she is. First, she do not know the features of the Emperor and second, she do not know the place where he usually stays!
"What should I do now?"
She asked herself. A few minutes later, she heard the malicious guard finding her and shouted when he saw her.
"I saw her! Hurry up and catch her!"
"Shit!"
Estelle said as she run for her life. When she was able to run into the corner, a cold hand grabbed her waist and she was dragged in an empty room. When she attempted to shout, her mouth was also covered.
"Shh... They'll find you"
A god-handsome man with waist-long red hair said in his manly yet calming voice. He is like a masterpiece of Michaelangelo who came out from a painting. His eyes are also like high quality carved ruby. He is wearing a high quality black robe made of silk and with beautiful golden embroidery.
Estelle tapped his large hand sending him a signal to remove it so she can speak and he gently uncover her mouth.
"I am looking for the Emperor Nicolaus Vesper Ancetus II, the ruler of the Eastern Empire. Do you know where he is?", she whispered as much as she can.
The red-haired guy let go of Estelle.
"Who are you?"
He coldly asked. Estelle immediately presented the emblem so that there will no more misunderstanding that may happen.
"My Uncle is Emperor Henry Montcroix IV of the Western Empire and the daughter of Emperor Victor Estridsen IX of the Southern Empire, Princess Estelle Estridsen", she introduced and curtsied.
The man smiled a little which made him looked a little gentler than the defend mechanism that he showed awhile ago. In that short moment, Estelle felt hell for a moment as she felt heavy energy coming from him but it was immediately lifted when he slightly smiled.
"Nice to meet you, Princess", he replied.
"Nice to meet you too, Mister...?"
"Just call me July"
He replied and smiled.
"Greetings to you, Your Majesty!"
She exclaimed and immediately kneeled
"Seeing how you know my alias, you really are my mentor's niece", he said.
"Rise up"
He said and Estelled did. He poured tea in two cups.
"Seat"
He offered to her and she sat in front of him.
"So? You want to do business here? Why?", he asked as if he is interrogating.