Cold sweat trickled down Lina Riley's back. Her mind raced through countless disastrous outcomes. People often say it's hard to read a monarch's intentions, but The Princess Royal's heart was an even greater mystery.
Lucille Everard—The Princess Royal—just sat there watching Lina, perfectly still, her expression inscrutable.
According to how events played out in her previous life, The Princess Royal was willing to depose the current ruler, yet she was never fond of Victoria Ashwood, who nevertheless ascended the throne largely because Lina had helped make it happen.
A sudden spark of insight flickered in Lina's mind, and she guessed another possibility. Still, before stating her answer, she tried to show her humility.
She bowed solemnly, adopting a startled, deferential air: "Your Highness, I am slow-witted and unfit to opine on matters of state."
Lucille tapped her fingertips on the table, sounding slightly impatient. "I dislike liars. Have you forgotten?"
She added coolly, "This meaningless courtesy might be fine for your father. Not for you. Understood?"
That final word carried extra weight, and Lina felt the pressure mount. Glancing up at The Princess Royal, she saw the faint displeasure in Lucille's expression. Recognizing she couldn't keep hiding her true thoughts, Lina straightened and spoke earnestly, "Forgive my candor, Your Highness, but Victoria Ashwood is not as fit to rule as our current monarch."
The Princess Royal merely let out a thoughtful "Oh?" Then, after a pause, she asked, smiling, "Why would you say that, when you hardly know either of them?"
Lina's heart leapt in alarm, and she quickly lowered her head. Most of her assessment stemmed from memories of her past life. In this life, she had barely met either Your Majesty or Victoria. She had a sinking feeling that The Princess Royal was testing her on purpose.
Unconsciously, Lina's sweat kept dripping, soaking through her underclothes and clinging clammy against her skin. How was she supposed to answer? She couldn't lie—but if she told the truth, she risked revealing her impossible secret of being reborn.
Lucille, meanwhile, was waiting for Lina's explanation. She sensed something unusual about Lina and Victoria, but they'd had few interactions so far. Indeed, Lucille had once contemplated dethroning the monarch. The realm was in chaos, and though Emilia Everard had done no wrong, her personality was somewhat too gentle to command. At the time, Lucille's own health was in decline, so she'd seen little choice.
Yet her recent brush with fate had given her hope that her body might recover. If she regained her strength, there would be no urgency in removing Emilia. The reason for bringing it up now was that Victoria Ashwood seemed keen on drawing Lina closer—an idea that annoyed Lucille immensely.
She fixed Lina with an unwavering stare, awaiting an answer.
Beatrice Byrd, sensing the tension, tried to smooth things over: "She doesn't know much about all this—just saying things off the top of her head. Don't read too much into it."
Lucille shot her a sidelong look, and Beatrice dared not say more.
Returning her attention to Lina, Lucille pressed, "No answer?"
Lina let out a silent sigh, then lifted her gaze. Fear no longer shone in her eyes. "Your Highness, it's true I am unfamiliar with both our monarch and Victoria. But I do know you. As long as you remain, it matters little who sits on that throne."
She explained calmly, "You know our current monarch far better, which is the only reason I answered as I did."
Lucille let out a slight scoff. "Don't you think I'm some wicked enchantress who brings ruin to the kingdom?"
Lina couldn't tell if it was a trick of her senses, but The Princess Royal's voice sounded somewhat forlorn. She, too, had heard the rumors—how, upon first taking power, Lucille had been branded a bewitching plague on the realm, accused of causing the death of a well-loved heir. Though such whispers had subsided over time, they had never wholly disappeared.
Seeing Lucille's weariness, Lina suddenly felt her burden. "Your Highness, I grew up hearing stories of The Princess Royal's bravery. You are no enchantress."
The earnestness in Lina's eyes made it impossible for Lucille to tell if she was lying. Rising to her feet, Lucille leaned in and held Lina's chin in place, smiling in a heady, intoxicating way. The subtle scent of winter blossoms on her clothes became suddenly more distinct.
Caught off guard, Lina tensed. Fearing she had misspoken again, she forced herself not to shrink away. If she showed weakness now, everything she had said would sound like a lie. Instead, she boldly met Lucille's gaze.
From the side, Beatrice Byrd covered her mouth. Then, realizing she was covering the wrong spot, she placed both hands over her eyes instead.
Lucille seemed pleasantly intrigued by Lina's calm demeanor. A soft laugh escaped her, and her shoulders, tense a moment earlier, relaxed visibly. If Lina wasn't lying, then she was surprisingly softhearted—despite the fear she had shown earlier, here she was, offering comfort to the very person she feared.
But Lucille, in truth, never cared about rumors. If people wanted to call her a menace to the realm, she was oddly fine with that.
She let go of Lina's chin and returned to her seat. Leveling a frosty look at Beatrice, who was half-hiding behind her hands, Lucille said, "If you don't want your eyes anymore, I can help you with that."
Beatrice quickly dropped her hands and straightened, clearing her throat. "No need, Your Highness. As for the matter at hand, we can't depose our monarch—and if we must replace someone, it certainly shouldn't be Victoria."
Lucille turned an empty teacup upside down. "Why not?"
Looking as though she hardly knew where to begin, Beatrice replied, "I've wandered the realm for years and met all kinds of people. My instincts about that young woman? She's a cunning snake."
Lucille gave her a sideways glance. "If I recall, your first impression of me was that I was a cunning snake, too."
She hadn't expected Lucille to dredge up old grievances. Beatrice, uncharacteristically flustered, coughed and offered a clumsy explanation. "That was ages ago…"
Lucille righted the overturned cup and spoke in an even tone. "I have a good memory. I also remember that child who barged in on me years ago."
Lina noticed The Princess Royal looking her way as though directing that remark at her. She stood there, momentarily dazed, and Lucille's expression became one of disappointed resignation. At last, Lucille released the cup and said casually, "We'll leave it at that."
Relief swept over Lina. Hearing them discuss such high-level matters in front of her—a lowly guard—she'd genuinely feared for her head. She'd had quite enough shocks for one day. Surely this was the end?
But as Lina contemplated her brush with disaster, The Princess Royal suddenly spoke her name again.
"Lina Riley, dine with us."
Ordinarily, a guard wouldn't share a meal with royalty. Lina, who'd only just relaxed, found her nerves jangled once more. She prayed The Princess Royal wouldn't pose any more difficult questions during dinner.
Yet, to her surprise, the meal passed in unusual harmony. Lina, once a soldier in her previous life, had never eaten such fine fare. In this life, she had faced constant hardship and hadn't yet received a single paycheck since finally managing to secure a post. All the dishes tasted delicious to her, and halfway through, she couldn't help but think of Daisy Harper at home. That girl had followed her through all kinds of hardships, never having tasted anything nearly so good.
Even so, Lina didn't dare request extra portions to bring home. She simply cast a few more glances at the braised pork.
When she finished eating and risked a glance toward The Princess Royal, she found Lucille had set down her utensils and was smiling right at her. Embarrassed, Lina also realized that Lucille, for reasons unknown, seemed quite fond of watching her.
Before long, the dishes were cleared away, and Lina felt a pang of guilt. Was she really doing any guard duty at all? She felt more comfortable here than at home, which hardly seemed right for a so-called guard.
After the meal, Lucille picked up a stack of royal documents to review, though she was not handling official matters directly—these were already signed by Your Majesty, which she then examined in turn. Lina intended to stand watch by the door, mindful that she was a guard, not a lady-in-waiting.
But the moment she lifted her foot, The Princess Royal looked up from the papers.
"Stand behind me," Lucille ordered.
Lina stiffened at once, lowering her head as she moved behind Lucille's seat. From that vantage, she could see each document as Lucille opened it, and panic seized her again. She tried looking down—but her eyes caught on a familiar name in one of the files.
Xavier Harrington.
In Lina's previous life, the greatest enemy of The Kingdom of Ravenwell had been Xavier Harrington, once a deposed prince of The Kingdom of Ashwood. His mother's family had fallen from favor, and his father despised him; nobody ever expected him to accomplish anything.
Lina couldn't tear her gaze away, and her hands began to tremble in anger. Xavier's rise to fame began with the battle where Willa Langley lost her life.
She momentarily forgot all her fear. She wanted to keep reading. Just then, Lucille closed the document.
The Princess Royal had kept half an eye on Lina and observed her expressions transition from dread to fury. With a puzzled frown, Lucille wondered if she'd misread Lina entirely. She had investigated Lina's background: it was simple enough, limited to her father's household. She had few contacts and little exposure to the outside world.
Which made many things about her all the more baffling. And Lucille was generally intrigued by any puzzle she couldn't solve. Yet Lina seemed caught between wanting to speak out and holding her tongue, which was rather amusing. This time, Lucille decided not to press her.
Lina, for her part, felt stifled. Every fiber in her body wanted to shout at The Princess Royal: "That man! Right there! Have him executed!" Yet what grounds did she have for such a demand? Xavier Harrington posed no threat at this stage—he was just a minor figure. If she remained silent, The Kingdom of Ravenwell might never notice him at all until it was too late.
What to do? She was still mulling over that question, even as she left the palace. Brows knitted, she headed toward her horse, pacing back and forth before it.
"Hey, you there, Riley!"
The rude greeting could only come from one person. Lina turned bleary eyes on Willa Langley. "Miss Langley."
Willa recoiled slightly. "Heard you're on duty with The Princess Royal. If it's too much, just run for it."
Lina shook her head. She regarded Willa with a complicated look, then turned to Winnie Wren, who stood at Willa's side. Seeing them together softened Lina's frustration somewhat, though curiosity nudged her: "What's going on with you two?"
Willa shrugged. "She found out we were headed the same way, so she's been following me around. No idea why."
Winnie, face flushed, said nothing, but mouthed to Lina: "Don't say a word."
A bit bemused, Lina decided to respect Winnie's wishes and hold her tongue. Just then, Willa drew close in a conspiratorial manner and whispered, "I have this hunch—she might be into me."
Lina was speechless.
Willa's confidence was unshakable. Stroking her chin with a thoughtful air, she concluded, "You don't have to say a thing. She's definitely in love with me."