My father died, and my old life was ruined.
To sum up, this was the result of my life in this world a year after my rebirth.
And so far, things haven't been going well.
After the massacre at the Duke's residence, they put me in the carriage of the Crown Princess without even giving me the opportunity to pack my luggage. The woman said that new things had already been prepared for me on the spot, and there was no need to take this "junk" with me.
I wasn't really in a position to object.
And now we have been on our way to the residence of the main villain for more than half a day.
With every breeze, the dead leaves fluttered in the air like moths. The cold northeast wind of these lands was different from the south wind I was used to. Migratory birds flew by against the background of the deep blue sky, and at that moment I could even envy their freedom.
I sat in the carriage and looked at the land of Haylos, which was getting closer and closer. If I count it up, I haven't slept in over a day.
Maybe it's the stress I've been through, but I just couldn't calm down. There was no sleep in either eye. Just the thought of arriving at my new "home" very soon made me shudder to my very bones.
After all, no matter how you look at it, it was a real kidnapping.
"I wonder what this place is?" - I was thinking about my fate, and my thoughts were leading me in God knows which direction-a couple of hours ago I was shaking and scared to death, but now a faint spark of hope lit up somewhere in the corner of my heart - Maybe I can somehow pretend to be a maid and escape?
While I was indulging myself with illusory hopes of escape, a voice from the opposite side of the carriage almost stopped my heart.
— When you come to my castle, your life will change, — the main villain told me with a gentle expression on her face, which alarmed me greatly.
"Yes, I'm sure she will definitely change..."
— You also don't have to worry about safety. My lands are the most protected in the empire. There are sixteen checkpoints in total, twenty-seven watchtowers and hundreds of guards in the garrison who patrol the area around the clock.
— .....
"Well, that's what I thought."
My hopes of escape were crumbling right in front of my eyes, like a sand castle.
Riding in a carriage with the main villain was like torture: I couldn't relax for a second. I shut my mouth tightly like a clam, trying my best not to remind him of my presence here. But it was pointless. After all, this woman with beautiful but frightening golden eyes hardly took her eyes off me.
To be honest, I still couldn't figure out what she wanted from me.
"Maybe she wants to kill me in some sophisticated way?"
Apart from the worst possible scenario, no other assumptions came to mind. After all, I was well aware of the nature of this man.
"A cold-blooded, ruthless psychopath."
This is exactly how Kaena de Ronan was described in the novel. And to be honest, after seeing the spectacle with my own eyes recently, I had no doubt at all that it was all true.
Not only did she kill people without hesitation, she also had sadistic tendencies. I read a lot of creepy stuff about the "dark" side of the main villain while I was reading the novel. A person who knows at least a little about her would rather commit suicide than be tortured by her.
And I was being taken straight to the lair of this monster...
It couldn't get any worse.
When I thought about how many obscenities I had managed to do to her during the time we were at the Duke's estate, my whole body was covered with cold sweat. This terrible woman could kill a man just because she didn't like the way he looked at her. In comparison, what I was doing practically guaranteed me a lifetime of boiling in a hellish cauldron...
In general, I don't have long to live.
I took a deep breath, overcome by a sense of despondency and hopelessness.
"She'll probably be happy as long as she has the opportunity to bully me, as long as I don't die..."
At this time, the villainess' voice, which was both pleasant and terrifying, reached me again:
— Camille.
— Y-yes?
— You said you were my fan, — Kaena said, leaning back against the back of the velvet seat, — I want to know why. What do you like about me?
— .....
My tongue suddenly got hot and started to slur.
This one question was more difficult than all the state exams I had to take in my previous life.
Meanwhile, I couldn't miss the answer.
My head started to hurt because the gears were turning very fast, and the princess was looking at me expectantly. Finally, I slowly parted my lips:
— This... It's all because of your outstanding talent! I heard that you became a swordsman at the age of fourteen, and that was a new record for the empire... And also... You have also brought so many military victories to our empire... — while I was praising the villainess, based on the information I got from the novel, the pupils of her eyes were getting wider and wider.
Although every word I said was true, there was really nothing to be proud of. It would be one thing if this woman used her skills for the benefit of the empire and thereby benefited. But in reality, the crown princess of this country did nothing but destroy it.
She used her innate talent for dark magic and swordsmanship, among other things, to kill innocents and civilians...
Despite the fact that Kaena protected the empire from external threats to some extent, acting on the battlefield against enemy states, in fact, she brought much more harm to her people. What's the point of protecting the population from enemy invaders if she ends up killing them anyway, but only with her own hands?
The only reason the Crown Princess went to the front at all on the emperor's orders was because she was a fanatic of war. More precisely, the murders. And in the war, where her "passion" could be fully realized, the villainess was simply delighted.
To sum up, it can be said that this was absolutely not the kind of person to admire. There was no gradient in the essence of this woman. It was solid black.
However, I wasn't crazy enough to throw my sincere thoughts right in her face.
When Kaena de Ronan listened to me, she looked visibly surprised.
— You really know a lot about me... — she muttered.
— Of course, because I am your fan and have been interested in you for a long time... — while the blatant lies flowed out of my mouth like honey, I tried my best to control myself.
Meanwhile, the villainess, who looked stunned at first, showed a strange reaction. Even with the naked eye, it was noticeable that her face was redder than before. Then a wide smile appeared on her lips, which she tried to hide by looking out the window.
Such a reaction on the face of any other person could be regarded as embarrassment. But since she was the main villain of the novel, I just tensed up. Maybe I talked too much and got on her nerves...? It's likely that now she'll want to swat me like an annoying insect.
For a while, I watched the villainess and her strange behavior warily. But since she still hadn't drawn her sword, and my head was still in place, it didn't seem as bad as I thought. Apparently, I got carried away.
Breathing a sigh of relief, I nevertheless did not relax my vigilance.
Soon, a landscape appeared ahead. When I reached the Crown Princess's lands, I realized that this place was much bigger than I had imagined. The majestic Heilos Castle was of enormous size, more like a military fortress, but at the same time it did not lose the exquisite exterior that was inherent in the homes of nobles.
No, compared to them, this castle was much more magnificent and luxurious. Even I, who grew up in a rich ducal estate, opened my mouth wide in disbelief.
"Her Highness is back, open the door!" — The knights shouted as they stopped in front of the huge iron gates.
The guards on the tower, seeing the carriage of the Crown Princess, hurried to let us in. Soon we passed through the second gate, where the knights of the Dark Army were lined up on the left and right, who were going to meet their mistress.
"Welcome back, Your Highness!" — They all bowed in unison.
From the window, I saw a lot of guard posts, training grounds, massive stone buildings, and so on. It took some more time before the carriage finally reached the main domain. The carriage entered the luxurious and magnificent gardens unhindered. When it was time to go out, I anxiously grabbed the skirt of my dress.
— Are you okay? Your complexion is not very good.
When the villainess gently helped me downstairs, the first thing she was worried about was my well-being.
— Ah... me...
She must be tired from the long journey, Kaena thought.
— We're finally home now. You can rest.
She put her arm around my shoulders and smiled. I could barely find the strength to shake my head.
There were about a hundred people standing in front of the main staircase. They all came out to greet their mistress. I saw no hint of surprise on their pale and straight faces. Apparently, they had all been warned about my arrival. I just sighed heavily.
— Welcome back, Your Highness!
A huge knight in black armor with disheveled dark hair immediately approached us.
— As soon as we received the news of your return, we made all the necessary preparations...
The knight's eyes turned to me. I subconsciously tensed up and hunched my shoulders, because there simply weren't any normal people in this place. Even now, it was likely that I was facing a real hardened criminal.
But I was worried for nothing, because the next moment this man hurriedly looked away, and in a surprisingly polite manner he said:
— Nice to meet you, lady. My name is Jacob Osman. I am Her Highness' loyal subordinate...
The knight greeted me respectfully, bending over.
— I'm... glad to m-meet you... — While I was desperately muttering, the main villain didn't even give me a chance to finish her return greeting.
Her hand tightened on my shoulder, and a big smile spread across her face.
— let's go. I'll show you your new room, — she said enthusiastically.
«...»
I had no choice but to meekly follow her suggestion. The servants parted and we went up the dark marble staircase.