I slipped into my most beautiful dress and carefully applied light makeup to enhance my natural beauty. Once ready, my queen, Pallas, took her place at the back of my golden-blonde hair. Most of my hair was left loose, with a single strand elegantly curled to the right. Then, I chose one of the cherished umbrellas from my collection.
"Marie!"
My maid entered my room, bowing her head with a level of respect much greater than before the infection. Currently, she was at 30%. Although her inner thoughts still deemed me deceitful, the level of infection allowed her to tolerate me as she had before the rumors.
"Did you call for me, Princess?"
"Yes. I wish to visit the garden to relax and have a small tea break."
"Very well, I will notify the patissier immediately."
Marie disappeared, and I followed shortly after. Thirty minutes later, she returned to my side, carrying a tea set and a hot teapot. We made our way to the gardens. Outwardly, I walked calmly, but inside, I was hunting for our prey. From the corner of my eye, I spotted her: Naturia, busy tending to floral bushes. A cruel smile flickered across my face for half a second before I took a deep breath, as though preparing for battle. Marie, ever observant, questioned my behavior silently.
I approached Naturia with timid apprehension. When she sensed my presence, she turned around. Her smile vanished instantly at the sight of me.
"What do you want, Princess?" she asked coldly.
"I wanted to invite you to have tea with me. I'd like to talk."
Naturia frowned, clearly reluctant. But she knew she didn't have much choice; after all, I was the princess.
"Fine."
I led her to an open structure adorned with climbing flowered bushes along its beams. To prove my good intentions, I chose a location well-frequented by the gardeners. Marie served the tea with professional grace, placing cups before Naturia and me, then pouring the hot liquid. I didn't force her to drink. I took a sip myself, savoring the mint tea's subtle notes of rose.
I stayed silent for a moment, giving her time to relax while waiting for the pastries. Soon, another maid, infected at 15%, arrived with a beautifully arranged tray filled with various treats.
"Naturia, I want to apologize for everything I've done to you."
I adopted an expression of fear, as though afraid I'd never be forgiven.
"When I hired those people, I didn't think they'd go that far. All I asked was for them to scare you, not to hurt you."
Naturia scoffed, not believing me at all, but I noticed a flicker of surprise at my attempt to apologize while admitting my faults.
"You really think I'll believe that?"
I shook my head and answered softly, "No. I'm sure you won't believe me, no matter what I say. That's why I want to start over and make amends."
"Start over? How?"
"By showing you who I really am."
I moved the tray of pastries closer, picked up a knife, and cut a cake in half. I ate one half before offering her the other. This proved there was no poison or other trickery. Naturia reluctantly ate, her eyes widening at the exquisite taste of the pastries.
"I know my words will never excuse my behavior. But I want to tell the whole truth, even if it makes you despise me more."
I confessed that during my years at the royal academy, my parents demanded perfection in everything I did. At first, this was achievable—until Naturia arrived. A commoner surpassing a princess… My parents were furious and placed unbearable pressure on me. Out of frustration, I began bullying Naturia, but it wasn't enough. I hired thugs, and the results cost me my reputation, turning me into the scorned princess.
Naturia's face reflected a mix of emotions: anger for my actions, compassion for my situation, and a certain understanding, though without forgiveness. As I spoke, I continued cutting pastries in half, offering her one portion each time. In one of them, I intentionally cut myself to infiltrate the Love Parasite. I had no fear of Marie or Naturia noticing—my queen used her Hallucinogens power to conceal the act. Indeed, neither noticed. Naturia coughed slightly but reassured herself and took a sip of tea to recover. Internally, I rejoiced: the parasite had successfully entered her.
"If it's alright with you, Naturia, I'd like to continue inviting you to my tea times, to make amends and, perhaps, earn your forgiveness. Who knows, we might even become friends…?"
Naturia remained silent for a moment.
"I can accept a few invitations, but I promise nothing—not forgiveness, not friendship."
"Yes, I understand. I'll settle for simply inviting you."
We conversed for two hours, sharing the pastries and tea. I even offered some to Marie. Afterward, I returned to my room. Once alone, my queen questioned me.
"Naturia's infection has risen to 5%. Though small, it's a good start, considering her hatred for me."
"Yes, I think so too. And Marie?"
"37%. It seems seeing me try to make amends and offering her pastries helped quite a bit."
"Overall, this is satisfactory—especially for the beginning of the plan."
I nodded, fully agreeing with my queen.
"For the next few days, Rosia, we'll continue visiting the garden but only invite Naturia occasionally."
"You must be seen by the public as much as possible, so your ex-brother can't use you for his own ends."
"Yes, my queen."
In the following days, I did just that, ensuring I was visible to the public as much as possible.