«She can talk after all?»
The first thought that flashed through Remesis' mind quickly evaporated. Asil glared at her with fury. When the girl reached for the collar of her jacket to undo the buttons, the wounded princess stopped her with a surprisingly firm grip.
Her eyes read confusion mixed with suspicion.
Even after what they'd been through, Asil still regarded her with distrust. Given how many times she'd been stabbed in the back, it wasn't surprising. It was unlikely that such a person would trust a stranger easily.
However, the wounds still needed to be treated…
Remesis froze in indecision, as Asil was adamantly opposed to being touched. From the atmosphere, one would have thought that Remesis was about to be torn apart, just as the mercenaries had been torn apart a little earlier.
The girl clearly felt threatened and swallowed. She certainly wasn't going to take any chances. Who knows what this little monster could do to her?
In her first life, Remesis hadn't been hurt around Asil simply because her existence didn't cause her any problems. A quiet and submissive wife whose presence would not even be noticed. Remesis was so afraid of attracting Asil's attention that she didn't even breathe when she was near her.
At times, the girl was more like a decoration than a living person. In fact, for this reason, even if the people around her died, Remesis managed to survive thanks to her inconspicuousness.
But that was all in the past.
Since she had now decided to act in a drastically different way, she did not yet know what the consequences might be. Asil's character was like a time bomb. Remesis, having lived with her for twelve years, knew this better than anyone else.
So…
— Okay,» Remesis nodded slowly, removing her hand. Asil also unclasped her fingers, «If you don't mind, I won't do it.
The girl inwardly shuddered, but didn't show it. As calmly as she could, she took out the medicines from her bag and spread them out in front of her. From what she had brought with her there was enough of
bandages, alcohol and ointment to heal her wounds. All of this was found for her by Seila, who wondered why she needed this first aid kit.
«Mistress, is it possible you could hurt yourself while riding in the carriage?»
«Anything can happen.»
Remesis answered her cryptically then, and the maid sighed as her little mistress spoke in strange phrases again. Sometimes, she just didn't try to make sense of her words.
Thinking back on it, Remesis complained that she should have asked for more supplies to be made. Though she hoped that no such dangerous situations were imminent.
— Then you can do it yourself,» Remesis left the supplies at her side, «Your Highness, do you know how to dress wounds?
Asil mumbled something vague in response.
Okay, let's say it was an assent.
However, a chill ran down the girl's back. All because Asil continued to glare at her with a look that had nothing benevolent in it. Remesis unknowingly hiccupped. It seemed like a good time to leave her alone.
— When you're done, you can just leave everything alone. I'll clean it up.
Dropping those words, the girl was about to go to bed. Today had been too tiring. Although Remesis was barely hurt, she was severely exhausted. She needed to regain her strength a bit before heading out.
Even though it was very cold, Remesis didn't risk making a fire here. Barbarians patrolled these areas and could easily detect them if they saw a fire in the cave.
So even though her teeth were chattering from the cold, Remesis decided she would survive it.
From her duffel bag, the girl made a sort of sleeping cot. Remesis lay on it and wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. Falling asleep in the cold wasn't a very safe idea, but she had no choice but to do it.
The girl closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep. Despite not the most comfortable conditions, it happened rather quickly. After all, this body belonged to a child, and she was very tired.
A wave of drowsiness began to take over Remesis' mind when the last sound she heard was a rustle beside her.
It was then that she had a dream. A dream of her past life.
The capital of the North, the fortress of Nord.
— If you're not busy… We could… We could talk…?
Remesis hesitantly asked the question into her back as the mistress of the snowy territories stopped. Her hull slowly turned around. A mocking smile appeared in her cold golden eyes.
— What if she's busy?
Asil Nara Ashelot glanced around at the frightened lady in front of her. She looked more like a gray mouse than a princess of the North. Remesis Carter, now Asheloth, was very beautiful. No one could deny that.
However, all her beauty paled in comparison to the way she hunched her shoulders and lowered her head anxiously. Her pale face seemed even whiter than snow. Her blue eyes, which had been born to resemble gems, had grown dull.
Remesis trembled from head to toe, trying to find the words.
— If you're busy, then next time…
She turned to leave. However, Asil interrupted her, suddenly quick to be at her side. She looked at her indifferently.
— I didn't even give you permission to leave. It seems that during my absence, you've blossomed quite a bit.
Remesis flinched and immediately shook her head.
— N-no, it's not like that! It's not like that!
— Isn't it? — The Mistress of the North glanced at her tense face, «Then say what you want to say.
— …
They stood alone in the empty corridor. All the servants and knights had instantly retreated as a conversation between the two couples was brewing. A very rare conversation, it must be said.
Despite the fact that Remesis and Asil had been married for many years, they hardly ever saw each other. Everyone in the castle knew they were not in a relationship. Asil was traveling around the neighborhoods of the northern territories, or she was at war. Once in a while she would return to the castle to settle property issues.
But even then, a meeting between them seemed unthinkable.
If Asil returned to their domain, she never visited Remesis. The latter avoided her as well. As a married couple, they lived as strangers. However, this was the first time Remesis dared to find her on her own.
It wasn't easy.
Asil had just returned from a protracted war. She had managed to forcefully subdue all the major barbarian tribes in the north, and they had sworn allegiance to her. While the power of the northern army grew, Asil was less and less at home. She was busy making preparations for what everyone was waiting for.
However, for the first time in a long time, a woman finally showed up at the castle. Though the war had ended a month ago, she herself had only returned now. Remesis, who had been preparing for this conversation for months, was able to «catch» her in the hallway.
They hadn't seen each other for quite some time. The golden wolf's eyes, which had always seemed intimidating to Remesis, looked especially aloof now. The girl gulped. Though she had been preparing for this conversation for a long time, she was scared to start it. Asil's figure loomed over her and covered her with her shadow.
Remesis was only slightly shorter than her. How did she manage it? Perhaps because of the armor?
At any rate, the girl spoke hesitantly, afraid of wearing out her patience.
— Divorce… Can we get a divorce?
«…»
The silence that prevailed in the hallway was frightening.
— What?
Asil looked at her, frowning.
— I… I hardly do anything. I'm useless to you, 'Remesis muttered,' So… I… I… I'd like to return to the capital.
It was true. Holding the title of Princess of the North, she had no responsibilities. Remesis was completely ignorant of running the castle and managing the household affairs. In fact, she lived here as a freeloader, doing nothing.
This was the main reason why divorce seemed like a logical solution.
However, to the girl, it was just an excuse to escape. Remesis absolutely did not want to be the mistress of the northern castle. But she was too scared to suggest divorce until then. Only now was she able to gather her will into a fist.
Especially since there would soon be chaos in the empire due to the coup d'état. Remesis wanted to settle down and live in a safer and more peaceful place.
It was a reasonable reason. It made no sense for Asil to keep a wife in the north for whom she had no feelings for anyway. However, in response to her bold words, the woman chuckled coldly.
— So, divorce then? You really want to divorce me?
— Y-yes…
After all, from the beginning, it was only an arranged marriage by their parents. They were forced into it. So why not break it off now that they're adults?
Remesis thought it was quite obvious. But…
— That's not going to happen.
Remesis's eyes widened.
— W-what?
— I said there would be no divorce,» she repeated softly.
— W-why?
The girl's throat went dry. She stared at her in confusion.
— There was no escape now. You want an easy life back in the capital? Well, that wasn't going to happen.
«…»
Remesis fell silent, feeling a shock in the back of her mind. She lowered her eyes, but Asil made her look up again. Her fingers closed around her chin like an iron snare. Her eyes stung with tears. Remesis held back from crying in her presence.
— You will leave the north only if you die,» Asil whispered, «Do you agree to that?
The princess fixed her gaze on her wife. She found that beautiful face disgusting, causing her expression to harden.
Remesis trembled finely. Just being around this woman was making it hard for her to breathe. The girl dug her nails into her palm to calm herself somehow.
— Do you understand me? — Asil asked in a low voice.
Remesis nodded with difficulty.
Asil, satisfied with the answer, let her go. She looked down at her.
— Just act like your normal self. Be an obedient girl. You want to live, don't you?
«…»
Remesis' legs weakened as she found the strength to shake her head like a dummy in agreement.
Asil turned around, getting ready to leave. At that moment, Remesis muttered weakly:
— I don't understand why you need me… Doesn't Your Highness already have Gardenia?
Asil froze a few meters away from her. Her eyes, more animal than human, glared fiercely. Remesis realized belatedly that she had said too much. She was about to fall to her knees and beg for forgiveness, but Asil beat her to it.
The icy voice said slowly:
— Silence. One more word about this…
Remesis flinched and immediately bowed her head.
— I…I apologize!
Asil frowned.
She had already opened her mouth slightly, but then changed her mind and stepped forward without hesitation. The woman's sprawling footsteps carried her further and further away. Until finally, the silhouette of the northern devil completely disappeared from sight in a matter of seconds.
Remesis should have been relieved that all was well. But… The sight of her consort's receding back planted anxiety in her.
The girl remained standing in the same spot and almost collapsed from helplessness. With this conversation she was trying to prevent the inevitable, but as it turned out, there was no other way out.
— One way or another, I'll have to kill her to escape… — Remesis muttered this to herself when she received the offer from the Emperor a few weeks ago.
A last chance for salvation that she wasn't going to pass up.
Shoo!
Remesis woke up in a cold sweat.
The first thing she saw was Asil. The girl with disheveled black hair and a gaunt face was already awake and watching her from another corner of the cave.
Her heart was still pounding as Remesis sat up and touched her forehead. Why did she feel more tired than rested after sleeping?
«Huh…»
Suddenly she dreamed of the last conversation she had with Asil from her past life. Just a few days after which, she had died…
The beautiful woman's impassive face was still in front of her. There was no denying that the cursed princess made a strong impression. Remesis had never met another person like her. The habits of a wild beast and aristocratic appearance were incredibly combined in her.
When she calmed down a bit, she shifted her gaze to the small dark creature watching her. There was no way she had been doing this all night?
The imposing silhouette of the woman who had been able to cover her with her shadow was gone. In her place, the child with whom they had escaped the mercenaries together yesterday sat in front of Remesis. For a moment it seemed to the girl that everything that was happening was not reality, but just a dream.
Regrets before death in that life caught up with her.
But no. The next moment, the girl shuddered with cold as the north wind blew in her face. This was definitely not a dream.
Remesis sighed.
Despite the fact that so much had already happened since the beginning of her second life, sometimes she really couldn't quite come to terms with it.
«I really did go back in time…»
When she woke up, the first thing she did was start going through her bag. Remesis had hardly eaten anything yesterday. The girl felt like her stomach was about to fail from hunger. Fortunately, the provisions she had taken with her were more this time.
Enough for the two of them.
Remesis pulled out some slightly stale but usable bread and broke off a piece. She kept one piece for herself and held the other out to Asil.
The girl stared at it in silence. The hunger radiating from her gaze at the sight of the food was quickly replaced by wariness. She looked at the bread held out to her with undisguised suspicion.
Remesis immediately realized her obvious thoughts and reassured her:
— It is not poisoned.
As proof, she took a rather large bite of her portion before her eyes. Then chewed and swallowed.
«…»
A look of surprise flashed in the princess's eyes. But it immediately dissipated behind the familiar stone mask.
«Is that still not enough…?»
Remesis didn't insist and simply placed the bread beside her. She sat down nearby and began to eat. Thankfully, there was enough water for the near future as well.
She noticed that there were fewer bandages in her supplies. It looked like Asil had used them after all. How effective it was, however, she couldn't assess. After all, just like yesterday, Asil was unlikely to allow her to touch herself.
Involuntarily, her gaze continued to glide over the child, who now resembled so little the woman from her dream.
Remesis focused her attention on her lean build and especially her face. Apparently the girl had been starving for so long that her cheeks had managed to hollow out. Despite the small size of her clothes, she was weak on them as well. The sleeves of her ugly gray jacket were rolled up twice at her thin wrists.
Asil was twelve years old. The same age as Michel. But unlike her older brother Remesis, who looked very good for his age, Asil, on the contrary, looked younger. In such living conditions, it was not surprising.
The princess lagged behind both in height and weight from her peers. And yet she managed to remain so strong… Remesis could not understand this phenomenon. At times like this, the thought crept into her head that she was indeed the devil.
Anyway, the girl thought, even a devil needs to eat. Asil was already very thin. No matter how it turned out that she would pass out due to weakness, and then what to do? Remesis definitely wouldn't be able to carry her on his back for long…
But Asil didn't trust her and didn't want to take food from her hands. Therein lay the problem.
And while the girl was thinking of ways to coax her to eat, she suddenly heard a crunch.
She stared in surprise at the opposite side of the cave, where an unimaginable sight appeared before her eyes. Asil, still not taking her silent gaze away from her, was shoveling bread into her mouth very quickly.