Kaena de Ronan woke up early in the morning from the rays of the dawn sun. There was still a slight fog in her head, but otherwise she felt quite well. To be honest, the Crown Princess was very surprised that she was still alive.
After that battle in the forest, she thought she would never wake up again. The poisoned dagger came as a big surprise to her. Despite the fact that the bastard was already dead, Kaena still felt annoyed.
Because of this incident, the Crown Princess found herself in such a vulnerable position for the first time in nine years.
Even if it wasn't death in the forest, someone else would have "finished" her during that time. Kaena had made a lot of enemies in her life, and each of them only craved the opportunity to get even with her. That's why she was so surprised when she opened her eyes again.
"Shouldn't I have died?"
But this place did not look like heaven, or rather hell, where she had long been prepared for a place. After looking around a bit, the Crown Princess was surprised to find that this was the most unexpected location she had hoped for.
Since she was still alive, Kaena came to the logical conclusion that she had been kidnapped.
But... This place didn't look too much like a villain's lair. It wasn't even a dungeon or a prison.
A lovely room in pastel and pink tones, where even the air smelled of violets. Most of all, it resembled the chambers of a lady from a noble family. There was no overly expensive furniture or jewelry, so the girl assumed that the person who kidnapped her did not have much influence.
Kaena frowned. Why is she being held in such a strange place? Is there a woman behind the kidnapping...?
Still feeling a slight weakness in her body, Kaena could already move. Her current strength may not be enough to subdue an army, but it is quite enough for self-defense. Not knowing where she was, the Crown Princess was going to get out of here.
The girl began to wander around the room in search of a suitable weapon. Still, I would not like to get my hands dirty unnecessarily... Strangely enough, disgust and bloodlust coexisted in her at the same time.
Moreover, some people's blood tasted and smelled like rotten fish. Getting dirty like this, the girl wanted to change clothes as soon as possible. In modern realities, this would be called "misophobia".
But, to her disappointment, there was nothing suitable here. Moreover, Kaena discovered that her arms and legs were not connected in any way. She could really get up at any moment. For the first time in her life, the girl was faced with such a strange abduction...
The crunch. The crunch.
Kaena's heart skipped a beat. Suddenly she realized that she was not alone here. There was another girl in the same room, only in another part of it. Apparently, this is the kidnapper. What struck the princess the most was that this stranger dared to turn her back on her.
No one had ever shown such recklessness in her presence before. The entire empire knew that the Crown Princess had not only an unbalanced temperament, but also terrifying abilities. Kaena could easily take a person's life even with her eyes closed.
Knowing this, how could this girl remain so frivolous?
Kaena was genuinely puzzled by this.
"Maybe she's just a fool? Or is she overconfident?"
Remaining completely defenseless in front of her, the girl could have already said goodbye to her life dozens of times. Such unconventional behavior intrigued Kaena deep down, and she did not dare to attack her immediately, just watching from the sidelines for a while.
For the first time, the Crown Princess got such an "easy" sacrifice. It was like warning a mouse in advance that the cheese would end up in a mousetrap. So predictable that she couldn't help but doubt it.
Watching the noblewoman devour a portion of food disproportionate to her body, muttering something unintelligible at the same time, Kaena decided to attract her attention.
To do this, she coughed.
— Huh...
At the same moment, breaking away from her thoughts, the girl turned in her direction. Kaena saw her face for the first time. Wheat-colored hair framed the doll-like face of a young noblewoman. In her mind, Kaena imagined what her head would look like on a peak.
"I wonder if it's worth cutting off her head right away, or would a painful death be preferable?"
The Crown Princess's inspired thoughts were interrupted by an exclamation. The noblewoman, seeing that her "ward" had regained consciousness, immediately rushed to her. Kaena was stunned when the stranger's warmth enveloped her cold hands.
Her large hazel eyes betrayed neither fear nor disgust. In front of... Wasn't that a concern?
It was a very strange reaction to a man whose death the entire empire craved.
It came as such a surprise to the princess that she almost pulled her hand away.
"What does that mean?"
While Kaena was watching her warily, the blonde started talking some nonsense. The Crown Princess frowned.
— Ugh... It's good that you're awake! It seems that your health is no longer in danger.
While the girl continued to talk about something of her own as if nothing had happened, Kaena tried to figure out what her intentions were. In the end, she had only one logical explanation for what was happening.
Any normal person in her place would have trembled with horror long ago. But this girl looked completely unperturbed. She must have just not realized who was in front of her.
Kaena deliberately lied about her amnesia to test it. But the princess did not see the expected reaction on the girl's face. Did she really not recognize her...?
The Crown Princess frowned, as this was the first time in her life she had encountered such a thing.
Well... It wasn't that important. At least the fool's naivety saved her life. Kaena didn't care about the rest.
The Princess smiled inwardly.
More than anything, the girl now wanted to pay off her family. Her stepmother must have completely lost her fear to decide on such an open attack.
"Mother, I think one arm and one leg will be enough for you. I'll also do you a favor when you can't talk with that dirty mouth anymore."
Of course, taking the Empress's life right away would be too much of a disappointment. Perhaps the princess will keep her alive for another couple of years. Tearing off piece by piece from the woman, Kaena intended to fully enjoy her suffering.
As for the rest of the imperial family... She wasn't that interested in them. A quick death by burning at the stake or crushing bones would be enough for them. Just the thought of it made Kaena so ecstatic that she could barely contain her emotions on her face.
Well, it was not worth delaying the implementation of a grandiose revenge.
First of all, Kaena will kill this noblewoman and her family. After all, she didn't need any extra witnesses. After that, the Crown Princess will find a way to contact her people and organize an uprising.
There was only one step left.
A thin neck, which was as easy to break as twisting a bird's neck, was right in front of her. Kaena looked at her with greedy eyes. Her hand involuntarily reached out in that direction.
But...
Unexpectedly, this girl also leaned forward and took her hand. The Crown Princess was speechless when their eyes were on the same level.
"What is she up to...?"
Suddenly, the next words completely stunned her.
— Don't worry, — the noblewoman whispered a millimeter from her face, — I won't tell anyone that you're here.